Harry tells private dinner ‘we had no option’ in emotional speech

In an emotional speech, Harry indicates it was he, rather than Meghan who decided to step down from royal duties | WATCH

Prince Harry has spoken about his sadness at the split from the royal family in an emotional speech..

Prince Harry has made an emotional speech describing his “sadness” at his and Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties but explaining: “There was no other option."

At a private dinner for Sentebale, the charity he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, the Duke of Sussex told guests: “I want you to hear the truth from me – not as a Prince, or a Duke but as Harry, the same person that many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years – but with a clearer perspective."

Hours after the Queen announced that he and the Duchess of Sussex could no longer use their HRH titles and would “no longer receive public funds” in exchange for striking commercial deals, Harry insisted he would always regard Britain as home, and would continue to “fly the flag.”

“The UK is my home and a place that I love. That will never change,” he said.

Telling the guests he knew they trusted that “the woman I chose as my wife” upholds the same values as he does, he added: “She’s the same woman I fell in love with.

“We both do everything we can to fly the flag and carry out our roles for this country with pride. Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve.

“For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this.”

He indicated that it was he who made the decision for him and Meghan to step back – contrary to some commentary which has blamed Meghan for the move. He said the call came after months of talks and “after so many years of challenges.”

“And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”

In a passionate speech, Harry spoke about recent events, telling guests, “I want you to hear the truth from me, as much as I can share – not as a Prince, or a Duke, but as Harry.”

Read his words, in full, here👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/8nS7He5LB4

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) January 19, 2020

Harry told guests that stepping back did not mean the couple were “walking away,” and made it clear he had hoped to continue serving the Queen, although in a reduced role.

“We certainly aren’t walking away from you,” he said. “Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

“I’ve accepted this, knowing it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am”.

He added: “It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service, so in that respect nothing changes.”

He ended with a swipe at the media, reminding those listening that they had taken him under his wing when his mother Diana died 23 years ago. “You’ve looked out for me for so long but the media is a powerful force,” he said. “My hope is our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us.”

‘This is historic, an abdication’

The decision to ban Prince Harry from using his HRH title, and to repay the £2.4m cost of renovating his and Meghan’s home is unprecedented in royal history, according to palace experts.

In what has been dubbed “the hardest Megxit possible,” the Queen announced on Sunday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could no longer use their HRH titles and would “no longer receive public funds” in exchange for striking commercial deals.

However while Harry’s mother Diana also lost her right to be called Her Royal Highness when she divorced Charles 24 years ago, no royal has ever before suffered this fate.

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said the decision makes palace history.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Mr Arbiter pointed out: “Even when Edward VIII abdicated (in 1936) he dropped from being His Majesty The King to HRH the Duke of Windsor.”

He also noted that Princess Diana was not born a royal and her HRH title was “obtained through marriage.”

Prince Andrew’s wife Sarah Ferguson, who also lost her HRH on their divorce, had also gained her title through marriage – as, of course, did Meghan Markle.

The front pages of London's Sunday newspapers are dominated by Megxit. Picture: AP.

Mr Arbiter said the decision for the Sussexes to repay the cost of renovating their Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle was unprecedented.

“No royal has ever paid back money,” he wrote. “It is absolutely unprecedented.”

Harry was also stripped of the military titles and patronages he was awarded after serving two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army.

Royal protocol expert Alastair Bruce described the deal as “cataclysmic,” saying the Queen had “brought down the iron fist” to end the crisis

Pointing out that Harry had been brought down to the level of 30 other Dukes in the UK, he told The Sun: “This is an abdication.

“We now know it will be Harry and Meghan, there will be no more Royal Highness, no more representing the Queen on great occasions, no more being part of the royal and ceremonial Royal Family, no more military involvement and no more public money”.

Harry is expected to join Meghan and their son Archie on a resort island near the southwestern Canadian city of Vancouver this coming week.

Prince Harry and baby Archie in Canada. Picture: Instagram

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew arrive at St Mary the Virgin church. Picture: PA.

Meanwhile the Queen appeared on Sunday in public for the first time since last week’s meeting with Harry, Prince Charles and Prince William in which they worked out the deal.

The Queen was photographed attending church in Sandringham with Prince Andrew, who has been forced to step down from royal duties over his association with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

As controversy over the decision continued, Meghan’s father Thomas Markle came forward to condemn the couple for “cheapening” the monarchy with the move.

Branding the decision to split from the royal family “embarrassing”, Mr Markle said: “It’s disappointing because she actually got every girl’s dream, every young girl wanted to become a princess and she got that.”

“And now she’s tossing that away for … it looks like she’s tossing that away for money.

“Apparently three million dollars and a 26-bedroom home isn’t enough for them. It’s kind of embarrassing to me.”

Speaking in Mexico for a British television documentary, he accused Harry and Meghan of tarnishing the monarchy.

“This is like one of the greatest long living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, making it shabby,” he said. “They are turning it into a Walmart with a crown on it.”

Sussexit deal sealed with the Palace

In a statement released on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT), the Queen announced that Harry and Meghan would “always be much loved members of my family” and she hoped they could “start building a happy and peaceful new life”.

But in what amounts to the ­abdication of the royal “rock stars”, the couple will repay the £2.4 million ($4.5m) of public funds used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, their home on the Windsor estate.

Q U E E N

Under the terms of the historic divorce deal — which follows the couple’s surprise announcement earlier this month that they were “stepping back” from royal duties — the house will remain the ­couple’s British base. They will pay commercial rent on its upkeep and take no more taxpayers’ cash.

The couple will keep their royal titles but in a move to insulate them from claims of cashing in on their status, Buckingham Palace announced: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.” They will be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

In future, the couple will spend most of their time in North America, a move that will raise questions about whether Meghan continues with her application for British citizenship, which usually requires applicants to spend most of their time in Britain.

Harry will continue to perform royal duties until the spring, including at a summit for African leaders in London on Monday, but he will then step back permanently, giving up his military roles as Captain General of the Royal Marines (a post passed to him by the Duke of Edinburgh), Hon­orary Air Commandant at RAF Honiton and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving.

Harry will continue to perform royal duties until the spring. Picture: Getty

After that, he and Meghan will be free to make millions from commercial deals without oversight from Buckingham Palace, although palace aides said the couple would be “respectful” of the Queen.

The couple has not signed any deals and agreed not to become brand ambassadors for big ­companies.

Instead, their commercial deals are likely to dovetail with their charitable interests — just as Harry has already agreed to an Apple TV documentary on mental health with US broadcaster Oprah Winfrey. Meghan has agreed to provide a voiceover for a Disney film in exchange for a donation to a conservation charity.

Harry and Meghan will also continue to receive an undisclosed sum of “private financial support” from Prince Charles, not necessarily from the Duchy of Cornwall.

After a week of high drama, the Queen made clear she sympathised with Harry and Meghan, recognising the “challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years. I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family,” her statement said.

The Queen stressed she was “particularly proud of how Meg­han has so quickly become one of the family”, after friends of the duchess said she had found royal life “soul-crushing”.

Harry and Meghan will keep their roles as president and vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, but the duke will no longer be a Commonwealth youth ambassador, a role given to him by the Queen in April 2018.

The couple will still be seen at set-piece events such as weddings, funerals, Trooping the Colour and the Cenotaph commemorations.

“They will happily attend royal family events at the invitation of Her Majesty,” a royal source said.

It is understood Harry and Meg­han do not yet know whether they will live in Toronto or Vancouver, where they have been staying for the past two months.

The arrangement will be reviewed after a year by the Queen and Princes Charles, Prince William and Harry to see whether it is working. The terms will be monitored to ensure they give the royal household sufficient distance from commercial activities.

Buckingham Palace said: “While they can no longer formally represent the Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her ­Majesty.”

The Palace said the Sussexes would continue to get some security support.

THE SUNDAY TIMES, wires