Royals
Prince Harry Says He Once “Wanted out” of the Royal Family to Live a “Normal” Life
What a confession!
In a revealing new interview with the Mail on Sunday, Prince Harry admitted that he was once tempted to leave the royal family in favor of an “ordinary life.”
“There was a time I felt I wanted out,” the 32-year-old said. “But then I decided to stay in [the monarchy] and work out a role for myself.”
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Harry credited the decade he spent serving in the Army for helping him to feel “normal.” “I wasn’t a Prince, I was just Harry,” he admitted. “Being in the army was the best escape I’ve ever had. I felt as though I was really achieving something.”
Earlier this month, Harry similarly made headlines when he told Newsweek that no one in the royal family actually wants to take the throne.
“We are involved in modernizing the British monarchy. We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people,” he told the magazine. “Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.”
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This statement from Harry — who is currently fifth in line to the throne behind his father, Prince Charles, older brother, Prince William, and nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte — could potentially cause controversy. It marks the first time that a royal has publicly voiced a reluctance to ascend to the throne.
Harry with members of his royal family in June 2017. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Harry also spoke frankly about the 1997 funeral of his mother, Princess Diana, when the 12-year-old prince joined his older brother — who was 15 at the time — his father, grandfather, and uncle Earl Spencer as they walked behind her coffin in a funeral procession.
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“My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television,” he said. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
Harry, Charles, and William. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
The prince revealed that he tries his hardest to live an “ordinary life,” telling the magazine, “I do my own shopping. Sometimes… I worry someone will snap me with their phone. But I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too.”
“Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping,” he added.
This story originally appeared on Grazia Daily.
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