Prince Harry Revealed Years Ago That He Wanted to ‘Move Away’ From the Royal Family But 1 Thing Was Stopping Him

Back in 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, sent shockwaves around the world when they announced after less than two years of marriage that they were planning to leave the royal family. It felt like the two had only just started their royal journey, yet it was already coming to an end. Many people blamed Meghan for convincing Harry to leave, but based on subtle clues, it seems like Harry had always hinted at stepping away.

Back in 2015, Harry had a conversation with a reporter in which he described how much he wanted to move away but felt like he couldn’t because of his royal duties.

Prince Harry hinted years ago that he didn’t want to be a royal

Harry has said through the years that the royal family came with plenty of stress. Not so much the family members themselves, but rather the fame and responsibility that came with being born into such a family. He specifically recalled dealing with tragic events, including his mother’s death, in the public eye; he told Newsweek in 2017, “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances,” referring to the press attention he received at his mother’s funeral.

And back in 2015, a conversation with a reporter suggested that Harry was always looking for a way out of the royal family — and found it with Meghan. Rhiannon Mills, a royal correspondent, recently recalled to The Sun that she’d asked Harry about his desire to move away from the royal family. “I said to him, ‘Have you ever thought about moving away?’ He was like, ‘Yes, I’d love to. I’d love to move away. But I can’t because of what I need to do to support the Queen.”

Mills continued, “So whenever anyone says to me, that it was Meghan’s fault they left, that conversation always springs to mind because he always had it in him — this potential to jump … I think Meghan came along and said, ‘hold my hand and we’ll jump together.’”

Prince Harry might have gained confidence to leave after meeting Meghan Markle

Harry wasn’t shy about his struggles growing up in the royal spotlight. And while many people think Meghan pulled him away from the royal family, she might have actually just given him the support he needed to make the decision to step away.

Of course, Harry most likely wishes things hadn’t gone down the way they did. It’s unlikely that he wanted the tension and public scrutiny that came along with the Sussex’s decision to step back, but it does seem that he feels more at peace now that he has the freedom to build the life that he has always wanted.