Prince Harry felt he “had to get out” of the UK for the sake of his mental health.
Breaking his silence on his and Meghan Markle’s shocking decision to resign from their royal duties and move to the United States,
Harry told James Corden about the toll public life was taking on him and his family.
“It was never walking away — it was stepping back, rather than stepping down,” Harry, 36, clarified to Corden. “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.’
“So I did what any husband and what any father would do, is like, I need to get my family out of here.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex swapped England for a $14 million Montecito, Calif., estate to raise their son, Archie, and their growing family. Despite the across-the-Pond move, Harry insisted he and Meghan, 39, did not abandon their duties.
“But we never walked away. And as far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away,” he said. “I will always be contributing, but my life is public service, so wherever I am in the world, it’s going to be the same thing.”
The duo’s adventure wasn’t all serious talk, as they embarked on a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles and stopped by the famed home from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
While at the house, Harry and Corden FaceTimed Meghan to discuss jokingly purchasing the iconic mansion.
“I think we’ve done enough moving,” she quipped before revealing she refers to her husband as “Haz.”
Harry and Corden also met with the family that lives there and joked about buying it from them. Though he didn’t snap up the coveted real estate, Harry did use the bathroom.
Harry also paid homage to the sitcom by rapping its famed theme song with a bit of help from Tony-winning Corden.
Harry’s conversation with Corden echoed his and Meghan’s official statement that refuted Queen Elizabeth II’s announcement that the duo had resigned. In the terse response, the couple said they were “committed” to a life of service, as it’s “universal.”
He and Meghan will also sit down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview that’s airing on March 7.
