The Duke of Sussex made the candid and personal confession during the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne with his wife Meghan Markle in the audience

rince Harry has admitted he “didn’t want” to be a working royal any longer following the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, told an audience – including his wife Meghan Markle – at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne Park on Thursday that the job had “killed” his mother, who tragically died in a car crash in 1997.

In a highly personal speech, he confessed: “For me, after my mum died just before my 13th birthday, I was like: “I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role wherever this is headed, I don’t like it. It killed my mum, and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years, fingers in the eyes.”

However, he eventually realised he could do good with his platform: “I realised – well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?

“And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective. And then I realised, wow, helping other people is also helping me.”

Meghan and Harry stepped down as working royals in 2020 and moved to the US with their children, Prince Archie, now six, and Princess Lilibet, now four.

© Getty Images
Prince Harry admitted he ‘didn’t want’ to be a royal any longer after his mother died

Feeling lost

During his speech, Harry discussed leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection on stage at the Centrepiece conference venue.

“In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age,” he said. “Grief does not disappear because we ignore it. Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you.”

Elsewhere, Harry opened up about feeling “lost, betrayed or completely powerless” at various points in his life, and during his time in the royal family.

© Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Harry and his late mother, Princess Diana

He said: “There have been many times when I’ve felt overwhelmed. Times when I’ve felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless. Times when the pressure – externally and internally – felt constant.”

But now, he takes great enjoyment in his work – which includes projects with Archewell and the Invictus Games – saying that becoming a father marked a significant turning point. “For me and my wife, the work that we do, we really enjoy it,” Harry said. “We get to hang out together and meet amazing people and go to some incredible places. It’s that giving back, for me.”

Tickets for the summit ranged from £525 for standard delegates to £1,250 for platinum access, with a virtual pass available for those wanting to watch his speech on demand. Despite the high-profile appearance, it is understood that Harry was not paid a fee for his address.

An emotional day

The Sussexes’ whirlwind four-day tour to Australia has been jam-packed with public engagements and media appearances, including Meghan filming a guest appearance on MasterChef Australia.

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Harry and Meghan had an emotional day in Australia on Thursday

She made a striking and personal admission of her own during a speech at Swinburne University of Technology on Thursday.

Addressing young people involved with mental health organisation Batyr, she said: “For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world.”

“I can speak to that really personally, which is why I like to listen, because it rings true for me in a very real way,” she explained. Despite the intensity of the scrutiny, the duchess struck a note of resilience, adding simply: “Now, I’m still here.”

Harry and Meghan have openly campaigned about the dangers of social media for many years, drawing on their own experiences.