Prince Harry “reembraced” his royal identity to land Hollywood deals, according to a royals expert.
After a keynote appearance at the InterEdge Summit Thursday, Harry explained to former Australian politician Brendan Nelson he didn’t want to be a working royal after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role — wherever this is headed, I don’t like it.’ It killed my mum, and I was very much against it. And I stuck my head in the sand for years and years,” Harry said, according to People.
“Eventually, I realized, ‘Well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?’
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“And, also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective.”
Also on Thursday, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, visited Swinburne University of Technology on the third day of their Australia trip and discussed mental health and social media with young people.
While visiting the institution, Markle claimed she was “bullied and attacked” every day for 10 years online and was the “most trolled person in the entire world,” according to People.
Harry chimed in and said that social media has “led to so much loneliness for so many people.” He said he has only felt better since attending therapy.
“I waited until I was literally in the fetal position, much older, lying on the kitchen floor, until I was like, ‘OK, maybe this therapy thing — maybe I should try it,’” Harry said.
Helena Chard, a British royal expert, told Fox News Digital that Harry wanted out of the royal life when his mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997.
“When Diana died, 12-year-old Harry wanted out of royal life. The grief, the goldfish bowl, the cameras at every turn. It was overwhelming and just too much for him. Royal life felt like surveillance, not family,” Chard said.
She explained that he’s had to maintain his royal status to land deals in Hollywood.
“In Hollywood, his currency was his royal title,” Chard added. “The deals hinged on the British royal family and his Prince Harry title. As Harry alone, he can’t clinch the deals. He traded palace scrutiny for Hollywood scrutiny but without institutional protection.
“He has made it more than clear he didn’t and isn’t returning to royal duty. He returned to royal identity as, without it, he can’t continue media deals and commercial ventures. He rejected the crown to heal, then reembraced it to be heard only with the goldfish bowl becoming the stage.”
Ian Pelham Turner, a British royal expert, said it makes sense that Harry has been so open about his emotions and how he feels about the royal family.
“Harry, as it is obvious to royal experts, is a much more open and emotional man compared to other members of the royal family, which is why he shares this value with Diana and his outspoken nature from his grandfather, Prince Philip who he totally admired,” Turner said.
“In the day of Diana’s funeral, when they had to walk behind the coffin when Philip, going through an archway thinking he could not be seen by the cameras, put his arm around the 13-year-old Harry and asked him if he was OK.”
Turner even noted that Harry’s angst against the public eye was evident during his teenage years.
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“As a teenager, Harry especially hated the media and on occasions lashed out at them, blaming them for his mother’s death and wishing he could be a normal person — not royal — and that he could be hunted down every day by paparazzi,” he said.
Amanda Matta, a royal commentator, told Fox News Digital it is clear to her that Harry believes the monarchy failed him.
“I think, reading between the lines, it becomes clear that Harry believes the royal system failed him on a personal level. Being thrust into the role of ‘prince’ from birth left him alienated from his own future as much as the death of his mother did,” she began.
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“Since stepping back from royal duties, he’s consistently positioned himself as someone who has had to ‘redefine purpose’ outside the structure he was born into,” Matta continued.
“He might be discussing workplace mental health and personal resilience more broadly in other parts of the summit remarks, but here he’s also pointing to the institution prioritizing duty, optics and continuity over everything else.”
Matta also agreed with Markle’s statement about being ridiculed online for a decade.
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“She’s absolutely correct; the trolling and harassment has been relentless since day one of her relationship with Harry. In some corners of the internet, it’s become like a game or pastime to people,” she said.
“I was heartened to see how Meghan is able to speak about that experience now, but even the reaction to her making these remarks has been derisive and cruel in some spaces. I’m afraid it is just Meghan’s ‘normal’ mode of being a public figure now.”
Chard, however, did not agree with Markle’s remarks about being bullied.
“Typical … Harry and Meghan visit a youth mental health group in between their commercial work and Meghan uses the visit as a platform to talk about herself yet again,” Chard said.
“She claims she was the most trolled person in the entire world. … This is nonsense. How can she quantify this? Lots of people are trolled. Again, it highlights just how she/they perpetuate the drama and continuously torch trust.”
