Prince Harry's journey from royal duties to independence in California has been a transformative one. Years before his dramatic exit from royal life in 2020, dubbed 'Megxit', signs of his desire to break free were already evident.
As a child growing up in the royal spotlight, Harry was accustomed to embodying the image of the monarchy. However, since his relocation to the United States with his wife Meghan Markle, he has reinvented himself as a producer of a Netflix series, a Spotify podcaster, and as the author of his contentious memoir, Spare.
Evidence of his yearning for a different path dates back even before the much-publicized royal departure. In a 2017 interview, six years prior to his ultimate decision, Harry, then 32, confessed he once wanted to depart from the monarchy.
As revealed in a Mail On Sunday report, Harry admitted to grappling with his royal responsibilities. However, he chose to remain due to the influence of a particular family member. He stated: "I spent many years kicking my heels and I didn't want to grow up. I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself." His decision was driven by his devotion to his grandmother, the Queen.
Furthermore, in the same interview, which took place a year after meeting Meghan, Harry disclosed his aspirations for a normal life. He added: "I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too."
Simultaneously, a lesser-known meeting took place around this period, adding another layer to the royal narrative. Before announcing his engagement to Meghan, Harry and his brother, Prince William, met discreetly with their late mother's butler, Paul Burrell.
Allegedly, Burrell, who had been a trusted advisor to Princess Diana and had also served the late Queen, assisted the brothers in recalling memories of their mother during this hushed gathering. Despite previously drawing the brothers' ire with his book about Diana following her untimely death in 1997, it appears he was able to provide some closure during this intimate meeting.
A royal source told The Sun: "It was a very low-key meeting but the brothers wanted to speak to someone who had been close to their mother. There were some aspects of her life they felt Paul could provide better clarity on. They asked to keep it all under wraps and he respected that. Paul was happy to tell them everything he knew and shed some light on their memories."
