History has a way of repeating itself, and that was Prince Harry's biggest fear when it came to his wife, Meghan Markle, and her fraught relationship with the media. In a new interview to promote his memoir, Spare (out on Tuesday), Harry admitted to being very worried about something happening to Meghan, leaving him to raise their children on his own.
Harry made the admission during a segment for ITV
The royal father of two sat down with journalist Tom Bradby and talked about how he didn't want to watch Meghan go through the same things he saw his mother, Princess Diana, experience when he was just a little boy. He explained that that worry drove his decision to leave his royal life and move his family to California. "I never want to be in that position — part of the reason why we are here now [in the US] — I never, ever want to be in that position," he said.
Diana was killed in a 1997 car accident
The car in which Diana and her boyfriend were riding crashed inside a Paris tunnel after being swarmed by paparazzi. Diana's death may have sent shockwaves around the world, but her loss was felt the most by her two young sons, Harry and Prince William.
"I don't want history to repeat itself," Harry continued. "I do not want to be a single dad. And I certainly don't want my children to have a life without a mother or a father."
Harry and Meghan announced their decision to leave the UK in 2020
They made their shocking reveal just before the pandemic kicked off. While there were plenty of theories about their true motivations to leave — it initially appeared that they simply wanted to expand the reach of their charity work — it later became clear that there was something very amiss back home in the UK.
The Sussexes have given several in-depth interviews since their departure
Royal watchers don't have to speculate too much anymore. Not only did Harry and Meghan dish on some of the drama that was going on behind the scenes during an explosive 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, but they also went on to produce a six-part Netflix docuseries explaining the events that led up to their decision to leave.
It seems like Harry had good reason to be worried
Based on everything he and Meghan have said about their time as working royals — which includes the shocking revelation that a heated conversation turned physical between Harry and William — it sounds like there was plenty of cause for concern.
We're glad Harry and Meghan feel safer now here in the US. Hopefully Harry no longer worries too much about the chance his children will experience the same painful loss he did.
