Prince Harry blames ‘institution’ in Melbourne speech
Prince Harry has spoken about the impact of Princess Diana’s death on his attitude towards royal life, telling an audience in Melbourne that he did not want to continue in the role he believed he was being pushed towards. The Duke of Sussex, 41, made the remarks during a keynote appearance at the InterEdge Summit on Thursday, held at the CENTREPIECE venue as part of his Australia visit with Meghan Markle.
In his speech, Express reported that Prince Harry said the “institution” had “killed my mum” and that he was “very much against it”, adding: “I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role.”
Prince Harry also reflected on grief and public scrutiny, saying that “loss is disorienting at any age” and describing the challenges of coping with bereavement “as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance”. He told the summit there had been times when he felt “overwhelmed”, “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless”, and recalled feeling pressure to “show up pretending everything was okay”.
The remarks came as the Duke continues a run of engagements in Australia, after a series of public appearances since arriving earlier in the week. In Melbourne, he also spoke about finding a sense of purpose, saying he later questioned how someone in his position could use “this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world”, echoing themes raised in his recent comments about feeling “lost” and “betrayed”.
Prince Harry’s comments are likely to draw renewed attention to his long-running criticisms of royal life and the pressures he says came with it, while his Australia visit continues with further appearances expected before the trip concludes.
