Defiant Prince Harry insists he and Meghan Markle ‘never walked away’ from royals and ‘life is public service’

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PRINCE Harry said he and wife Meghan Markle “never walked away” from the royals – and he simply did “what any husband or father would do”.

In a wide-ranging interview with James Corden on The Late Late Show, the Duke of Sussex said the couple’s move to LA last year with son Archie was about “stepping back rather than stepping down”.

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Prince Harry has spoken to James Corden during a wide-ranging interview for The Late Late Show

He insisted he and Meghan ‘never walked away’ from the Royal family – and video-chatted his wife during the interview

The chat was filmed just days after Harry and Meghan confirmed they had stepped down as senior royals, and will never return to their official duties.

But while the chat was filmed before the pair were stripped of their honorary titles, Harry insisted his life will “always be about public service” – and says his wife “signed up for that” too.

It suggests both knew they’d lose some of their patronages in advance.

The 36-year-old added that it was a “really difficult environment” and said of the press: “It’s destroying my mental health”.

The duke also spoke about his early relationship with Meghan, 39 – admitting he knew she was “the one” after just two dates.

During the interview, Harry revealed:

  • He and Meghan went from “0 to 60 in two months” before going public with their relationship
  • The couple spend their evenings making son Archie’s tea and giving him a bath before ordering takeaways and watching Netflix
  • He has seen The Crown – and says it’s “not strictly accurate”
  • The Queen and Prince Philip use Zoom to speak to Archie – and the tot’s first word was “crocodile”
  • And Meghan’s nickname for her husband is “Haz”

The prince spoke about his marriage and life in America during a chat aboard an open-top bus.

He admitted dating for any member of the Royal Family is “flipped upside down”, and told Corden that early dates take place at home.

“We got to spend an enormous amount of time just the two of us,” he said of his early relationship with Meghan.

“There were no distractions, and that was great.

“It was an amazing thing. We went from zero to 60 in the first two months.”

Asked what a “regular night in” for the couple is like, Harry said they may make Archie’s tea, give him a bath and read him a book before he and Meghan spend time together.

And he acknowledged he’d moved thousands of miles away from home – but said he “needed” to go.

“I needed to get my family out of there but we never walked away,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, whatever 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’s going to be the same thing.”

The prince also cracked jokes during the interview, which took place on a tour of LA.

He rapped the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme tune outside the mansion where the show was filmed – and Corden tried to convince him to buy the property.

When Corden told him to pay the fare for the bus, Harry replied: “You know us royals, we don’t carry cash.”

Prince Harry cracked jokes and rapped the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme during the interview

But he also admitted struggling – and told Corden he’s committed to a life of public service

He told Corden Megxit is about ‘stepping back, not stepping down’

He confessed it was his first time aboard an open-top bus, telling Corden: “We’re not really allowed to.”

During the trip, TV host Corden served the prince afternoon tea while pointing out celebrity homes, including properties he claimed were those of Friends star David Schwimmer and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis.

The pair then video-called Meghan – who asked “Haz” how his tour was going.

The prince told her Corden was “the worst tour guide in LA”.

Elsewhere in the chat, he revealed that “hysterical” son Archie’s first word was “crocodile” and the Queen gave the one-year-old a waffle maker for Christmas.

He also addressed the controversy over The Crown’s portrayal of his family’s history and defended the Netflix regal drama, saying it does not “pretend to be news”.

A wave of criticism has recently been directed at the Royal Family by fans over how Princess Diana is treated in popular series, with trolls hurling vile abuse at the Duchess of Cornwall over her false portrayal.

Many figures – including the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden – have called for the show to remind viewers that it is a work of fiction.

But Harry told Corden: “It’s loosely based on the truth.

“Of course it’s not strictly accurate, but it loosely it gives you an idea of that lifestyle and the pressures of putting duty and service above everything else and what can come from that.”

At the end of the interview, Prince Harry and Corden also competed against each other on an obstacle course.

Speaking after the interview was broadcast, HOAR’s royal photographer Arthur Edwards MBE told Good Morning Britain he was ‘surprised’ by the prince saying he’d faced a “toxic” time with the media.

“I don’t know where ‘toxic’ has come from,” he said.

“When I worked with him all those years, he engaged with the media – we used to have a drink, on every tour we’d go to the pub and he used to get everything off his chest and you’d get everything off your chest.

During the chat with Meghan, she called the prince by his nickname – ‘Haz’

Harry sipped tea on a bus tour of LA as he chatted to Corden
He said he knew his wife was ‘the one’ after just two dates

“It’s only when he met Meghan that stopped.

“He never interacted with us again.”

UK broadcasters are currently in a bidding war over Meghan and Harry’s upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It’s understood ITV has emerged as the frontrunner.

According to reports, the couple are expected to be “very candid” with Oprah in the 90-minute CBS primetime special.

The interview will air on Sunday, March 7 – and one source has warned the royals to “hide behind the sofa at the palace” when it’s screened.

It was filmed on the same day the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was taken to the hospital.

Meghan and Harry are set to discuss royal life, marriage, their life in the US and future goals.   

Meghan is also expected to speak about the feud with her family on her father Thomas’ side.

It comes after This Morning host Holly Willoughby said that Oprah’s team had been in contact with ITV for footage of an interview with her half-sister.

The Sussexes’ decision to quit royal life indefinitely came a month before the March 31 deadline for a review of their new post-Megxit life.

A spokesman for the Sussexes insisted there was “absolutely no question” Harry and Meghan wanted to keep the positions they had lost.

The spokesman told the Daily Mail: “They do respect the decision but they always made clear they were committed to doing the roles.”

Meghan was not involved in the talks with the Queen, who spoke only to Harry directly via video call.

Harry also held “amicable” talks with other senior royals, including brother William and dad Charles, as early as January.

They have also started their own foundation, Archewell, and launched a podcast series with Spotify believed to be worth £30m.