Prince Harry has stated that his decision to not pursue a role as a working member of the royal family was cemented following the passing of his mother, Princess Diana, during a trip to Australia.
Speaking at a summit in Melbourne, the Duke of Sussex reflected on the profound impact of Diana’s death in 1997, which occurred after a high-speed chase involving paparazzi. He recounted feeling "lost, betrayed, or completely powerless" as a teenager and spending years adhering to expectations before choosing a different trajectory.
"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,’" he remarked, adding that the tragic circumstances surrounding her death significantly shaped his perspective on royal life.
Harry further elaborated that over time, he came to realize he could leverage his public platform outside conventional royal responsibilities to effect change in ways that better reflected his personal values.
His wife, Meghan Markle, also addressed the gathering during their visit, discussing the pervasive issue of online abuse. Speaking at Swinburne University of Technology, she described experiencing years of intense online harassment, at one point referring to herself as "the most trolled person in the entire world," yet affirmed, "I’m still here."
The couple officially stepped back from their duties as senior members of the British royal family in 2020, subsequently relocating to the United States to pursue independent ventures and advocacy work.
Since their departure, they have continued to share their experiences publicly, notably through the Netflix documentary "Harry & Meghan" and Harry’s memoir "Spare," which provided further detailed accounts of their interactions with the royal family, including King Charles III and Prince William.
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