- Prince Harry gave a speech in which he addressed his family's move away from official royal duties.
- The Duke says he feels "sadness", and added: "The decision is not one I made lightly"
Prince Harry has spoken about his sadness in stepping away from the royal family, admitting that he made the final decision to lead a private life with Meghan and their son Archie.
Speaking at a formal private dinner for vulnerable children's charity Sentebale, which he founded in 2006, Harry admitted that their enthusiasm for royal life has been dimming. “Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve,” he said.
“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 got it right, but as far as this goes there really was no other option.”
The heartbreaking speech comes after Buckingham Palace said in a statement over the weekend that Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive any further public funds. The couple intend to keep Frogmore Cottage as their UK home and will repay £2.4m of taxpayer money used to refurbish the property.
Both have admitted that their mental health has taken a hit as a result of negative stories about them, and many royal commentators believe Harry's speech this evening was intended to help lessen the impact on his wife after nasty reports about her forcing Prince Harry to alienate himself from his family.
Whatever Harry's intention, our hearts break for him and Meghan at what is clearly a difficult time - and we hope they can finally get the peace they've been craving.
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