Prince Harry believes Princess Diana would have seen Meghan Markle’s exit from the working Royal Family as a “missed opportunity”. In a wide-ranging conversation with ABC News’ Michael Strahan, the Duke of Sussex mentioned both his wife and his late mother, suggesting the pair would have seen eye to eye.
After recalling how struggling it was for him to come to terms with Diana’s death and how he even refused to acknowledge it when he was a child, Harry spoke about visiting his mother’s grave in 2017 alongside Prince William.
During that poignant moment, Harry said, his elder brother told him he felt as though their mother “was very much in his life and had helped set him up” before focusing her attention on the Duke.
Harry then shared his belief Diana “would realise the missed opportunity” when it comes to Meghan in the Royal Family.
The fifth-in-line to the throne referred to his and the Duchess of Sussex’s exit from the Firm, which he claimed multiple times was propelled by the intense media scrutiny fuelled by briefings from the Palace as well as by the incapacity of senior royals to compromise on the couple’s exit terms.
The Duke spoke again about the opportunity lost by the Royal Family when it comes to Meghan later during the same interview with the Good Morning America broadcaster.
Asked by Mr Strahan whether he thinks there is a place for the British monarchy in the 21st century, Harry replied: “I genuinely believe that there is. Not in the way that it is now.”
Prompted to say whether the Firm needs to modernise, he added: “I think the same process that I went through, regarding my own unconscious bias, would be hugely beneficial to them.”
If not confronted, Harry said, unconscious bias can grow into racism.
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He then returned to speak about his wife, saying the Royal Family missed out on “representation”.
Harry continued: “It’s what she said to me right from the beginning, representation. And I, as a privileged white man, didn’t really understand what she was talking about.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the Duke spoke about his complicated relationship with William and King Charles.
Asked whether he is “sympathetic” to the fact that, while he has had the chance to tell his version of the story in his upcoming book Spare, Prince William may never have a similar chance, Harry replied: “Yes, 100 percent”.
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He then clarified this book “is not about the relationship between me and William, this book is about my life”.
The American journalist then asked the Duke whether he thinks his tell-all memoir, which will be available in bookstores and audiobook providers on Tuesday, willl impact the already difficult relationship between him, Charles and William.
Harry replied: “I have thought about it long and hard. And as far as I see it, the divide couldn’t be greater, before this book.”
He nevertheless believes there is the possibility for the family to reconcile – but “first, there needs to be a conversation and accountability”, the royal added.
After saying he is grateful for his wife and children, Harry added: “I’m not angry anymore. There are things that will still anger me, but I’m not angry anymore.”
