Harry says it was his decision, not Meghan’s, to leave as it became clear there was no other option.
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Prince Harry has described how “terrifying” it was to have his brother “scream and shout” at him when they met to discuss his and Meghan’s future.
In a Netflix series, Prince Harry says it was his decision, not Meghan’s, to leave after plans for a half-in, half-out royal life was rejected during a family meeting at Sandringham.
He says his father said things that “just simply weren’t true” as his grandmother, the Queen, looked on.
Buckingham Palace has not commented.
In the latest instalments of the docuseries, Harry and Meghan have described why they made their decision to give up their royal duties and move to the US, claiming they were not supported by the Royal Family, amid a barrage of negative press publicity mainly directed at Meghan.
Meghan talks in detail about how she considered taking her own life, while Harry describes how he felt shame looking back over how he reacted, reverting to “Institutional Harry” rather than “husband Harry”.
As things got worse for the pair, Harry says that he had gone to Sandringham, the royal estate in Norfolk, in 2020 to discuss scenarios for the couple’s royal role with his father, brother and grandmother, the late Queen.
He recalls how the meeting went, saying: “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
He said his preference had been to be half in, half out of the Royal Family, with him and Meghan doing their own jobs but also supporting the Queen, but it was soon clear that was not a possibility.
“It became very clear, very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion,” he said.
Image source, Getty Images
As for the Queen, he said her ultimate goal and responsibility had been the institution of the Royal Family.
Harry also said a joint statement was put out after the meeting without his permission in his and his brother’s name, denying a story that William had bullied him out of the Royal Family.
He described the move as a “lie to protect my brother”, adding: “There was no other option at this point. I said, ‘we need to get out of here’.”
He said Meghan had not asked to leave and that saying it was at her instigation was “misogyny at its best”.
In the latest episodes, Meghan also speaks about how she considered taking her own life before stepping back from the Royal Family.
“It was like ‘all of this will stop if I’m not here,'” she said.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said hearing her daughter’s thoughts “broke my heart”.
After his wife had confided in him about her struggles, Prince Harry said he had been devastated.
But, he said he had been “trained” to worry more about what people were going to think, and he “hated himself” for that.
“What she needed was so much more than I was able to give,” he added.
Other revelations from the series include:
- Prince Harry talks about the breakdown of his relationship with his brother – accusing William’s office of trading stories – something he says they “promised” they would never do when they were younger
- And he describes a “wedge” between him and his brother so “he’s now on the institution’s side”
- Harry speaks about “a dirty game” within the royal press setup, which engages in “constant briefings” and is involved in “the leaking and planting of stories”
- The prince says “people” were upset Meghan was “‘stealing the limelight’ or doing the job better than the person who is born to do this”
- He says he believes press coverage in the Mail on Sunday was linked to Meghan’s miscarriage. The Mail on Sunday is yet to comment
- Speaking about the tabloid media and why they stepped down from royal duties, Meghan says: “I wasn’t even being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves”
- Meghan says her dad speaking to the press about her and the Royal Family was “incredibly painful,” adding it was “very embarrassing for the family”
- Beyonce texted Meghan her support after her interview with Oprah Winfrey last year, with Meghan in disbelief that the musician knew who she was
- Harry says a tweet comparing baby Archie to a chimp was “one of the first things” he saw after the birth in 2019
- Harry was shocked after he says he was blocked from seeing the Queen when returning from Vancouver to discuss moving away from the UK
- Prince Harry found attending Prince Philip’s funeral “hard”, as he was forced to discuss family tensions with his father and brother. He claims that he “had to make peace” that he was “never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology”
Image source, Getty Images
During her struggles, Meghan said she wanted to seek help but she “wasn’t allowed to”.
Without being specific as to who “they” were, she said: “They were concerned about how that would look for the institution.”
The prince added: “They knew how bad it was. They thought ‘Why couldn’t she just deal with it?’ As if to say, well, ‘everybody else has dealt with it, why can’t she deal with it?’ But this was different. It was really different.”
A teary Ms Ragland also shared her account of that time in the episode, adding that her daughter’s words were “not easy for a mum to hear”.
In a reference to press intrusion in her daughter’s life, she said: “I knew it was bad, but to just constantly be picked at by these vultures, just picking away at her spirit, that she would actually think of not wanting to be here.”
The final three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released on Thursday.
The filming of the series was completed before the Queen’s death in September this year.
Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, will be published in January.
Information and support: If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed, these organisations offer advice and support. For mental health issues, there are these organisations.