Prince Harry in his own words: 'I will never walk away from the Royal Family'
The royal opens up about "toxic" false stories about his family and what a typical night in looks like since moving to the US.
Monday 1 March 2021 10:33, UK
From watching Netflix in bed with wife Meghan to his grandmother the Queen giving Archie a waffle maker for Christmas, Prince Harry has shared a glimpse of his new life away from the Royal Family.
The royal, 36, has given a candid interview to James Corden's The Late Late Show which involved a bus tour of Los Angeles with afternoon tea, a visit to the mansion used in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and an obstacle course.
He discussed a wide range of topics, from the "toxic" false stories about him in the British press and what a typical night in looks like since moving across the pond.
This is what he had to say in his own words:
'Stepping back' from royal life
Harry revealed he felt the need to step back from his royal duties because of the "toxic" stories about him in the British press.
"It was never walking away," he said. "It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw.
"We all know what the British press can be like. And it was destroying my mental health. I was like... 'this is toxic'."
He added: "So I did what any husband and father would do - I needed to get my family out of here.
"But we never walked away - and as far as I'm concerned, what decisions are made on that side - I will never walk away.
"I will always be contributing - my life is public service - so wherever I am in the world it is going to be the same thing."
Meghan being 'the one'
Harry said he first knew former Suits actress Meghan, 39, was "the one", after they went on their second date.
"On the second date I was starting to think, this is pretty special," he said.
He added: "It wasn't so much where we went but the fact we hit it off with each other, and we were just so comfortable in each other's company.
"Dating me or any member of the Royal Family is kind of flipped upside down. All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home.
"And then eventually once you become a couple, then you venture out to dinners, the cinema and everything else - so everything was done back to front with us."
He continued: "So actually, we got to spend an enormous amount of time just the two of us - rather than going to friends' houses or out for dinner where there were other distractions.
"There were no distractions - it was great - and it was an amazing thing. We went from zero to 60 in the first two months."
A typical night in
Harry revealed he is just like any other working dad when he settles down for the evening after a busy day.
He said that after a typical working day he and Meghan like to get son Archie ready for bed.
"Depending how busy the day has been, we do Archie's tea, give him a bath, read him a book, put him down, go downstairs," he said.
"Meg might cook a meal or order a takeaway... then go upstairs, sit in bed, turn the TV on and watch some Jeopardy!, maybe watch a little bit of Netflix."
The Crown is 'loosely based on the truth'
Harry said he prefers watching Netflix hit series The Crown, which is based on his family, than reading false news reports about himself and wife Meghan.
He said: "They [The Crown] don't pretend to be news - it's fictional. But it's loosely based on the truth.
"Of course it's not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle - the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else - what can come from that."
"I'm way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife, or myself.
"Because it is the difference between obviously fiction - take it how you will - but this [news reports] is being reported on as fact because you're supposedly news. And I have a real issue with that."
When Corden asked Harry who he would like to see play him on the show, he revealed without hesitation: "Damian Lewis".
The famous redheaded actor, 50, is best known for his roles in Band of Brothers and Homeland.
The Queen bought Archie a waffle maker
Harry appeared to be enjoying fatherhood, saying his son Archie, one-and-a-half, is "hysterical".
"He has the most amazing personality and is already putting three or four words together, he's already singing songs," he said.
The royal also revealed Archie's first word was "crocodile".
In a surprising revelation, he said his grandmother the Queen bought Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.
He said: "Interesting - my grandmother asked us what Archie wanted for Christmas, and Meg said a waffle maker. So she sent a waffle maker for Archie!
"For breakfast now, Meg makes a beautiful organic mix... in the waffle maker... flip it... out it comes.
"He [Archie] loves it. And now I have waffles for breakfast - put jam, a bit of yoghurt on top... I don't know if that's the right thing to do... bit of berries or honey maybe, a bit of syrup."
"Archie wakes up in the morning and goes: 'Waffle!'," he added.
On the subject of his grandparents, Prince Harry said both the Queen and Prince Philip know how to use Zoom for video calls.
"We have Zoomed them a few times - they have seen Archie running around," he said.
He joked that his grandfather shuts the laptop physically when he finishes one of their calls instead of clicking off it.
Life in LA when lockdown ends
Harry said he has "no idea" what life will be like in Los Angeles when all lockdown restrictions are lifted, and revealed he hadn't seen much of it at all due to the measures.
He said it could be "a slightly different version or continuation of what we were doing back in the UK".
"My life is always going to be about public service and Meghan has signed up to that, and the two of us enjoy doing that," he said.
"Trying to bring some compassion, make people happy and try to change the world in any small way that we can."