“Hear the truth from me”: Prince Harry’s brutally honest speech
Prince Harry has spoken publicly about his surprise decision to leave the royal family, explaining to guests at a charity dinner that he wanted to deliver the “truth from me”.
He also pleaded for the public to trust that “my wife upholds the same values that I do”.
In his speech, that was delivered at the Sentebale Fundraiser and shared on Twitter via royal reporter Omid Scobie, Prince Harry spoke honestly about the period of transition his family was experiencing.
“I can only imagine what you may have heard or perhaps read over the last few weeks,” Harry told the crowd.
“So, I want you to hear the truth from me, as much as I can share — not as a Prince, or a Duke, but as Harry, the same person that many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years — but with a clearer perspective.
“... I have grown up feeling support from so many of you, and I watched as you welcomed Meghan with open arms as you saw me find the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life. Finally, the second son of Diana got hitched, hurray!
“I also know you’ve come to know me well enough over all these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do. And she does, and she’s the same woman I fell in love with.
“We both do everything we can to fly the flag and carry out our roles for this country with pride.”
Prince Harry went onto explain that he was disappointed that things had ended like this and felt that himself and his family had no other choice but to leave.
“Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve,” he explained.
“For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this.
“The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”
He also made it clear that he is not walking away from the royal family.
“What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away... Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible,” he explained.
“I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I had to step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.
“... We are taking a leap of faith — thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step.”
Naturally, Prince Harry ended things on a lighter note, sharing a sweet story about how his eight-month-old son Archie. The doting dad said that Archie “saw snow for the first time the other day and thought it was bloody brilliant”.