Prince Harry thinks his mother, the late Princess Diana, would be “very angry” and “very sad” about his departure from the royal family.
The 36-year-old prince and his wife Duchess Meghan stepped away from royal life last year and he has claimed he “felt [the presence] of his late mother – who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 – throughout his decision making and knows she would have wanted him to put his happiness first.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey, he said: “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.
“I think she saw it coming. I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process.”
And Harry is thankful he has the support of his wife because his mother was left to navigate civilian life on her own after her divorce from Prince Charles.
He added: “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 have been like for her, going through this process by herself all those years ago.
“It has been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we had each other.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Harry – who has 22-month-old son Archie with Meghan, who is pregnant – admitted he felt “let down” by his father, who he claimed stopped taking his calls when he decided to quit royal life.
Although he confirmed they are now speaking again, he said: “I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar.
“He knows what pain feels like, and Archie’s his grandson. But at the same time, of course I will always love him. But there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship.
“But they only know what they know, or what they’re told. I’ve tried to educate them through the process that I have been educated.”
Harry felt “trapped” by royal life but doesn’t think he’d have tried to break away if it wasn’t for the former ‘Suits’ actress.
Asked if he’d have left without Meghan, he said:” No, the answer to your question is no.
“I myself was trapped. I didn’t see a way out. I was trapped but I didn’t know I was trapped.”
And he has “huge compassion” for his father and brother Prince William, who can’t make the choice that he has because of the line of succession.
He said: “I was trapped within the system, like the rest of my family are.
“My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don’t get to leave.”