While speaking at a dinner in Central London, hosted by his Sentebale charity, Prince Harry addressed his split from the royal family, marking the first time that he's spoken publicly about the subject since he and his wife Meghan Markle announced their decision to do so.
"It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges," revealed the Duke of Sussex. "And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you.”
He went on to confirm that the resolution he and the Duchess sought was to continue to serve the Queen "without public funding." However, the compromise was not met.
“Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible,” he said. “I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am.”
Harry's words arrived just one day after Buckingham Palace officially announced that Harry and Meghan would be losing their royal titles of "His Royal Highness" and "Her Royal Highness."
"I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months," Harry added. “I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities and military communities that are so important to me.”
