Prince Harry has praised his wife Meghan Markle for helping him to recognize his desire to leave the Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan shocked royal watchers in early 2020 when they confirmed they were stepping down as senior working royals to move to America.
They have since launched their own Archewell Foundation and Harry now works for mental health startup BetterUp.
But speaking on Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the father-of-one has shared that he always felt that his life as a member of the British royals was a “mix between The Truman Show and living in a zoo,” and that he had never wanted “to be a part of this”.
“I’ve seen behind the curtain, I’ve seen the business model and seen how this whole thing works and I don’t want to be part of this,” the 36-year-old said.
“It’s the job right? Grin and bear it. Get on with it. I was in my early 20s and I was thinking I don’t want this job, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be doing this.”
He then revealed that it was 39-year-old Meghan who encouraged him to begin therapy, “and then once I started doing therapy it was like the bubble was burst.”
“I plucked my head out of the sand and gave it a good shake off and I was like, ‘You’re in this position of privilege, stop complaining and stop thinking you want something different — make this different — because you can’t get out.
“How are you going to do these things differently, how are you going to make your mum proud and use this platform to really affect change?'”
The Duke and Duchess Of Sussex announced in January 2020 they would be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family, a decision that sent shock waves throughout the Palace and across the globe.
The Queen and Buckingham Palace released separate statements confirming Harry and Meghan would no longer be allowed to use the HRH titles, and that they would be financially independent.
On Valentine’s Day 2021, the couple released an official statement that they were expecting a second baby, along with a sweet snap of the pair cuddling up with Markle’s growing belly on show.
“We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” a spokesperson said in the statement.
They later revealed they are expecting a baby girl in early summer.
