Prince Harry implied that it was his decision to leave the royal family, not Meghan Markle's
Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images
The Duke of Sussex suggested it was his decision to leave the royal family, not Meghan Markle's, during an emotional speech at a dinner in London for his charity Sentebale on Sunday night.
Prince Harry also said that he and Markle hadn't initially wanted to give up their royal duties completely, but were told they couldn't continue without public funds.
On Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Harry and Markle will stop using their HRH titles and will step back from all royal duties.
"I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life," the duke said while speaking at the charity dinner.
Prince Harry gave an emotional speech about his departure from the royal family, saying that he and Meghan Markle hadn't initially wanted to give up their royal duties.
Speaking at a Sentebale charity dinner on Sunday, the Duke of Sussex said "our hope was to continue serving the Queen," however they were told this wouldn't be possible without relying on public funds.
He also implied that it was his decision to "step back" from royal life, and not Meghan Markle's.
The duke said: "The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one made lightly.
"It was so many months of talks 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."
Since the couple announced their plans to step back from their senior roles and to spend time in Canada, many of the press and public have blamed Markle for the decision.
For instance, Princess Diana's former chef Darren McGrady wrote on Twitter: "Meghan never wanted to be Royal. Meghan wanted to be famous. Meghan is famous! It's all about Meghan."
—The Royal Chef (@DarrenMcGrady) January 8, 2020
"You've come to know me well enough over all these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do," Harry said. "And she does, she's the same woman I fell in love with."
He went on: "What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you.
"Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible."
The couple released a statement earlier this month, where they said they plan to become financially independent.
However, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday that as part of a new agreement, Harry and Markle will no longer use their HRH titles and will completely step back from royal duties.
"I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life," he added.
Part of this "step forward" means the couple no longer have to work with the royal rota, a group of journalists from British newspapers who attend and report on all royal family engagements.
Harry alluded to this in his speech, saying: "When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing.
"You've looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us."
The duke also gave a shout out to his son, Archie, saying that he "saw snow for the first time the other day and thought it was bloody brilliant," most likely referring to the family's time spent in Canada.
Read more:
Prince Harry says he feels 'great sadness' about stepping down from his royal duties
10 warning signs that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were ready to leave the royal family
Staff are being moved out of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Frogmore Cottage home
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