Queen Elizabeth II
Harry’s resignation comes as no surprise to them
Queen Elizabeth II, here in 2021, is said to have had “a very good relationship” with Prince Harry.
© imago images/PA Images
Apparently, it came as no surprise to Queen Elizabeth II that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
At the beginning of January 2020, Prince Harry (38) and Duchess Meghan (41) announced that they would step down as senior royals – a step that came as a surprise to the world. But the family knew, as Harry explains in a new TV interview. His grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), who died in September, was probably not angry about the decision, but sad.
Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth II had a “very good relationship”
“My grandmother and I had a very good relationship,” says Harry in an interview with moderator Michael Strahan (51) on Monday aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”. “It never came as a surprise to anyone, least of all her. She knew what was going on. She knew how hard it was. She never told me she was angry.” Prince Harry thinks that the Queen, on the other hand, was sad that it came to this.
Shortly after the announcement of Meghan and Harry, the palace announced that the couple would no longer be part of the “working members of the royal family”. Queen Elizabeth II had stated that after many months of discussions, a way had been found for her grandson and his family. “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be dearly loved family members,” the statement said. The couple moved to North America with son Archie (3). In California, where the family lives, their second child, little Lilibet (1), was born in the summer of 2021.
Prince Harry: ‘I can never get out’
Already in the documentary series “Harry & Meghan” the two had explained on Netflix in December that they did not want to resign completely but wanted to limit their role. But his proposal was not at all up for debate in discussions with the royals. It was “really sad” for Harry that no compromise could be found at the time, he now explains. To this day he believes that this is possible.
Leaving the Royals completely is not an option either. “I can never get out,” says Harry. “I’m incredibly aware of my position and I’m also incredibly grateful for the life I’ve had and continue to live, but there’s no version of me that can ever get out of it.”
Before the release of his new autobiography, Harry also gave TV interviews to the “60 Minutes” program on the US broadcaster CBS and the British broadcaster ITV, in which he talks about his family, among other things. “Reserve” (original title: “Spare”) will be released on January 10th.