Prince Harry Got Obama to Admit the One Thing He Hates About Post-presidential Life
Earlier this month the world learned that Prince Harry scored a seriously coveted interview for his turn as guest editor for BBC Radio. The young prince and soon to be husband sat down for a 40-minute, one-on-one interview with none other than former U.S. president Barack Obama.
The lengthy interview is a rare one for Obama, who has remained active in world politics since leaving office, but has shied away from interviews and media appearances. But of course he made an exception for the prince, who happens to also be his beloved friend.
While we knew the interview would be funny based on the previews that Kensington Palace shared, we didn’t know just how deep the conversation would get around the future of world leadership.
"Part of my role and part of my job is to shine a spotlight on issues that need that spotlight, whether it's people, whether it's causes, issues, whatever it is,” Harry said. "So I will continue to play my part in society and do my job to the best of my abilities so that I can wake up in the morning and feel energized."
In the interview, which was taped in September during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Obama not only talked with Harry about the future, but also revealed a great deal about his present life as an average citizen.
"I didn't used to experience traffic," Obama said. "I used to cause traffic." He added, "The fact that I can wake up and if I want to spend an extra 45 minutes talking to Michelle and take a long breakfast — I can do it. That feels great."
And though he never mentions President Donald Trump by name, Obama did insinuate that he’s concerned with the current state of American politics under the new administration.
"That [feeling of satisfaction] was mixed with all the work that was still undone, and concerns about how the country moves forward," Obama revealed. "But overall, there was a serenity there. More than I expected."
While the pair certainly seemed like they could talk about anything, there was one subject that didn’t come up — who would be invited to Harry’s spring wedding to American actress Meghan Markle. As NPR speculated, inviting the Obamas may cause political strife between the British government and the Trump family.
"We haven't put the invites or the guest list together yet, so who knows whether he's going to be invited or not," Harry told BBC. "Wouldn't want to ruin that surprise."
