Prince Harry didn't want royal role because 'it killed my mum'
Prince Harry has declared he didn't want his "job" as a member of the royal family because "it killed my mum".
Prince Harry rejected his "job" as a working royal because he was convinced it "killed" his mother.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, has admitted he was just a child when he decided he didn't want to be a part of his family's world as he battled grief over the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car accident in Paris, France in 1997 when Harry was just 12 years old.
During an appearance at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday (16,04,26), Harry confessed: "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'.
"It killed my mum, and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years."
However, Harry eventually changed his mind when he realised he could use his position in the royal family to do good.
He added: "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."
Harry made the comments in a talk with Australian business leader and former politician Brendan Nelson after giving the keynote address at the summit.
During his speech, Harry also touched on dealing with grief, telling the audience: "In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age. Grief does not disappear because we ignore it.
"Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you.
"There have been many times when I’ve felt overwhelmed," Harry continued. "Times when I’ve felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless. Times when the pressure – externally and internally — felt constant. And times when, despite everything going on, I still had to show up pretending everything was okay, so as not to let anyone down.
"For many years I was numb to it, and perhaps that was easier then, but I also didn’t yet have the tools to deal with it."
After spending many years as a working member of the royal family, Harry stepped back from his role in 2020 alongside his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and the couple have since started a new life in California where they are raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
During their current trip to Australia, Meghan opened up about the difficulties she faced over the last decade - claiming she was "the most trolled person in the entire world" on social media.
The 44-year-old former actress told students at an event in Melbourne earlier on Thursday (16.04.26) that she was "bullied and attacked" online every day for 10 years and suggested social media platforms are "not incentivised" to take action against cruel trolls.
Meghan said: "For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world."
The former Suits actress – who was known as Meghan Markle before marrying Harry in 2018 – added: "Now, I'm still here. "And when I think of all of you and what you're experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks – that's not going to change.
"So you have to be stronger than that."
