Prince Harry has said he retired from royal duties because the British press was “toxic” and “destroyed” his mental health.
In an unprecedented extraordinary interview in the annals of royal history, Harry gave a heartfelt interview to his close friend James Corden on The Late Late Show while touring Los Angeles with a double-decker outdoor bus. Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 and arrived at the evening reception dressed as Henry VIII. Another wedding guest, Oprah Winfrey, has recorded an interview primarily with Meghan that will be screened next weekend.
The two men were served an afternoon tea, which Corden said he had provided to remind Harry of home, but the tea service was abandoned after the bus stopped abruptly, depositing the contents of a tea cart on top of the prince.
“Make it clear, Harry,” Corden joked as the prince grabbed cups of tea and biscuits.
While the 17-minute package had a fun tone and was full of jokes and gags, it also provided the most candid view of why Harry retired from the royal functions.
Asked about his decision to leave real life, Harry said he had no other 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 have to get my family out of here.”
In what will be perceived as an excavation at the royal establishment that refused to accept Harry and Meghan’s proposal for a public-private hybrid role, Harry said, “We never strayed, and as for me, what decisions are made on this side, I will never leave ”.
Harry said his life would now continue to be related to “public service” and added that he and Meghan “tried to bring some compassion and try to make people happy and try to change the world in the smallest way we can.” .
When Harry said he and Meghan looked at him often Danger! and Netflix (with whom the couple recently signed a $ 100 million production deal) on the nights after Archie’s sleep, Corden asked him about The Crown and his controversial interpretation of his family history.
Harry, who joked that he would like Damian Lewis to play him in the series, said he preferred it to the royal family’s media coverage because “it’s not meant to be news.”
And he added: “It is fictitious. But it is vaguely based on the truth.
“Of course, it’s not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea of what can be derived from this lifestyle (the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else).”
He continued: “I feel much more comfortable The Crown from what I see the stories written about my family, or about my wife, or about me, because it’s the difference between fiction — take it however you want — and being informed as a fact because you’re supposed to be news. I have a real problem with that. “
Harry also got to know Meghan and find out how she was on her second date.
“We got along with each other and felt so comfortable in each other’s company,” he said.
“Going out with me or any member of the royal family is turned upside down. All dates turn into dinners, 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 took a trip home from the 1990s TV show. The Prince of Bel-Air.
When Corden suggested the couple should buy the house, Meghan said, “I think we’ve made enough moves.”
During the visit to the house, Corden and Harry talked to the owner and joked about an offer to buy it, before Harry asked if he could use the toilet.
“I’m actually dying to pee. Can I use your bathroom? ” he asked.
Proving that family relationships are still a bit functional, Harry said 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 eats them for breakfast with toppings including berries and syrup.
He also said his grandparents knew how to use Zoom, but joked that his grandfather physically shut down the laptop to end a call.
To you, Oprah.