Prince Harry reveals heartbreaking reason he 'didn't want' royal job years before quitting duties
The Duke of Sussex has got candid about his royal upbringingPrince Harry has opened up about the moment he realised he didn’t want the job he was born to do within the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, gave a speech at the InterEdge Summit at Melbourne Park on Thursday as he continues his Australia tour with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
In the speech, Harry spoke about his upbringing within the monarchy and made a candid admission about his true feelings over the role of being a prince.
Prince Harry shares why he ‘didn’t want’ royal job
Harry admitted that from the moment he lost his mother Princess Diana at the age of just 12, he realised he didn’t want a life in the monarchy.
He said during the speech: “After my mum died just before my 13th birthday, I was like: ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role, wherever this is headed, I don’t like it.'”
He continued: “It killed my mum, and I was very much against it. I stuck my head in the sand for years and years.
“Eventually I realised, well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?
“And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective.”
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When did Harry and Meghan quit royal duties?
In early 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from being senior working royals.
They moved to the United States and have set up life in California with their two children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.
It killed my mum, and I was very much against it.
Harry previously gushed over his new life and admitted he believes it’s what his mum would have wanted for him.
Speaking at The New York Times Dealbook Summit in 2024, Harry said: “I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids up here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live.
“It’s the life that my mum wanted for me. I’m able to do things with my kids I undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the UK. That is a fantastic opportunity and I’m hugely grateful for that.”
‘I don’t want to be doing this’
The Duke of Sussex previously opened up about not wanting the royal destiny he was born into during a podcast interview.
Speaking on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in 2021, Harry admitted: “It’s the job right? Grin and bear it, get on with it. In my early 20s, it was a case of, I don’t want this job.
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“I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be doing this, look what it did to my mum. How am I ever going to settle down, have a wife and a family when I know, that it’s going to happen again?
“Because I know, I’ve seen behind the curtain. I’ve seen the business model. I know how this operation runs and how it works, and I don’t want to be a part of this.”
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