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Prince Harry Thinks Princess Diana Predicted His Distancing From 'The Firm'

Photo credit: Georges De Keerle - Getty Images
Photo credit: Georges De Keerle - Getty Images

From ELLE

Prince Harry has opened up about what he believes mother, the late Princess Diana, would have thought of his decision to step down as as senior royal and its consequences.

During a sit down interview on ITV with Oprah Winfrey on Monday (which aired a day after it was originally shown on CBS), the TV host enquired about what the Duke of Sussex thinks his mother would have said about his and Markle's 'departure' from the royal family in March 2020, as a result of the alleged lack of support from the institution.

'I think she would feel very angry with how this has panned out and very sad, but ultimately, all she'd ever want is for us to be happy,' the Duke said of his mother.

The father-of-one went on to claim that his family 'cut' him off, financially, following his decision to step down as a senior royal.

Photo credit: Princess Diana Archive - Getty Images
Photo credit: Princess Diana Archive - Getty Images

'My family literally cut me off financially. I brought what my mum left me and without that, we would not have been able to do this, so touching back on what my mother would think of this, I think she saw it coming,' he noted, referring to inheritance money his mother left him following her death in 1997 in Paris after being pursued by the paparazzi.

'I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process.'

The Independent reports that both Prince Harry and his brother Prince William were left approximately £6.5 million each after their mother passed away. The sum was reportedly invested and gathered substantial interest in the years following her passing, according to LBC, with the Duke of Sussex believed to have inherited just over £10 million on his 30th birthday.

As well as vocalising his thoughts on whether or not his mother would have supported the couples' distancing from 'The Firm', as the British Monarchy is otherwise known, Prince Harry also compared his wife's brave admission of mental health struggles with that of his late mother's.

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

'You know, for me, I'm just really relieved and happy to be sitting here, talking to you with my wife by my side because I can't begin to imagine what it must've been like for [my mother] going through this process by herself all those years ago,' he noted.

'My biggest concern was history repeating itself.'

In October 2019, Prince Harry opened up about the 'bullying' his wife was facing at the time as a result of the British tabloid press.

In a statement released on the Sussexoffficial.uk website , he stated: 'There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives.

Photo credit: Tim Graham - Getty Images
Photo credit: Tim Graham - Getty Images

'Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people. We all know this isn't acceptable, at any level. We won't and can't believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.

'My deepest fear is history repeating itself,' he continued, presumably referring to the death of his mother. 'I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.'

ELLE UK has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

The full interview aired on ITV on Monday March 8 and is on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS.

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