Harry and Meghan address toll of royal life, as duchess says she was the ‘most trolled person in the world’
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, both revealed more of the unhappiness they experienced as working royals on Thursday, with Harry saying he didn’t want “this job” after his mother died and Meghan claiming she “was the most trolled person in the entire world.”
The couple’s comments came on a four-day quasi-royal trip to Australia where they are attending a mixture of public engagements and commercial events.
Speaking at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne on Thursday, Harry recalled the grief he felt after his mother Princess Diana died in a car crash when he was just 12 years old.
“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,’” he said, according to PA Media.
“It killed my mum and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years. Eventually I realized – 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?”
Harry has spoken extensively about the devastating impact of his mother’s death, citing it as the reason for his protectiveness over his wife and young family.
He and Meghan stepped down as working royals six years ago, later alleging in interviews, a Netflix documentary and a memoir that their hand was forced by a toxic cocktail of tabloid intrusion, entrenched racism in British institutions, online abuse and complex family dynamics, alongside a desire for financial independence.
Meghan reiterated the effect of that online abuse on Thursday, saying that “every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world, man or woman.”
“Now, I’m still here,” she added, while addressing young people affiliated with the Australian mental health organization Batyr and speaking about Australia’s pioneering ban on social media for children under 16.
“When I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realize that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks – that’s not going to change.”
Harry and Meghan’s tour to Australia, where they are spotlighting sport, mental health, and veterans, has prompted a mixed reception. But despite press coverage framing this trip as a money-making exercise, it’s unclear how much the pair stand to benefit financially.
Their tour is privately funded, Harry wasn’t paid anything to speak at the InterEdge Summit on Thursday, and sources say rumors that Meghan received a huge sum for appearing on MasterChef Australia are false.
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CNN’s Hilary Whiteman contributed reporting.
