Prince Harry said he gave up royal duties because the British press was “toxic” and “destroyed” his mental health.
In an extraordinary interview, unparalleled in the annals of real history, Harry gave a sincere interview to his friend James Corden in The Late Late Show while traveling around Los Angeles in an open-air double-decker bus. Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 and arrived at the reception in the evening dressed as Henry VIII. Another wedding guest, Oprah Winfrey, recorded an interview mainly with Meghan that will be shown next weekend.
The two men received afternoon tea, which Corden said he had arranged to remind Harry of home, however, the tea service was abandoned after the bus came to a sudden stop, depositing the contents of a tea cart on top of the prince.
“Clear that up, Harry,” Corden teased as the prince took cups of tea and cookies.
While the 17-minute package was humorous and full of jokes and jokes, it also provided the most candid view of why Harry withdrew from his royal duties.
Asked about his decision to leave real life, Harry said he had no choice because the British press “was destroying my mental health”.
He said of the “toxic” situation: “I did what any husband and father would do – I need to get my family out of here.”
In what will be perceived as a criticism of the royal establishment that refused to accept Harry and Meghan’s proposal for a hybrid public-private role, Harry said: “We never stray and, as far as I’m concerned, what decisions are made from this side, I will never walk away. ”
Harry said that his life would now continue to be “public service” and added that he and Meghan were “trying to bring some compassion and try to make people happy and try to change the world in whatever way we can”.
When Harry said that he and Meghan often watched Danger! and Netflix (with whom the couple recently signed a $ 100 million production contract) at night, after putting Archie to sleep, Corden asked him about The crown and his controversial portrait of his family history.
Harry, who joked that he would like to be played in the Damian Lewis series, said he preferred this to tabloid media coverage of royalty because “it doesn’t pretend to be news.”
He added: “It is fictional. But it is loosely based on the truth.
“Of course, it’s not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea of what that lifestyle is like – the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything – which can result from that.”
He continued: “I am much more comfortable with The crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself, because it is the difference between fiction – see how you like it – and being reported as a fact because you are supposed to be news. I have a real problem with this. “
Harry also opened up about meeting Meghan and how he knew she was the only one on the second date.
“We got on well with each other and were so comfortable in each other’s company,” he said.
“Dating with me or any member of the royal family is something of an upside down. All meetings turn into dinners or watching TV or chatting at home.
“We went from zero to 60 in the first two months.”
Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, made a cameo in the interview via FaceTime when Harry and Corden paid for a trip home from the 90s TV show Fresh prince of Bel Air.
When Corden suggested that the couple buy the house, Meghan said, “I think we’ve changed enough.”
During the visit to the house, Corden and Harry talked to the owner and jokingly made an offer to buy it, before Harry asked if he could use the bathroom.
“In fact, I’m dying to pee. Can I use your bathroom? ” he asked.
Showing that family relationships are at least still somewhat functional, Harry said that his grandmother, the queen, bought his son Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.
He revealed that Meghan now makes waffles with a “beautiful organic blend” and they eat them for breakfast with toppings including berries and syrup.
He also said that his grandparents know how to use Zoom, but joked that his grandfather physically closes the laptop to end a call.
It’s up to you, Oprah.