"Harxit" may not really roll off the tongue the way "Megxit" does — but ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ??????Prince Harry would like to make it clear that the decision to bail on being royalty was actually his, thank you very much.
After weeks of royal family drama and years of appalling treatment by the British press, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed, firmly, that her grandson and his wife would be stepping down from their official roles and ceremonial duties as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with her blessing. The couple will be seeking financial independence, and splitting their time between the U.K. and North America.
Now, Harry has made his first public comments about the official split with his royal family at an event for a charity he co-founded, Sentebale, which works with children in HIV-affected communities in Lesotho and Botswana.
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The subtext (and often the text) of the "Megxit" narrative has been that That Woman had somehow come between the son/brother/uncle of the next three British monarchs and the rest of the family. Harry very pointedly explained that it was a decision hehad made, actually, and there was "no other option."
"Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve," he said to the crowd. "For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this."
The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. 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. Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.
He went on to make even more pointed references to the media, his mother Princess Diana (and her death in a car crash as she fled from paparazzi), and to the sacrifice he would be making in order to find his young family some damn peace.
I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am. But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.
I was born into this life, and it is a great honour to serve my country and the Queen.
SEE ALSO: Stormzy sums up the exact reason Brits don't like Meghan MarkleWhen I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing. You’ve looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us."
Harry went on to note his "utmost respect" for his grandmother, his "commander in chief" (which is what I'll be opting for when my grandkids are picking pet names for me, thanks).
He also said a few more words about the work Sentebale does with HIV-affected kids, before introducing singer Lewis Capaldi, who we'll presume was there to sing and not to graciously berate the British media for being racist fucking ghouls.
You can watch the full speech below, via the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram.
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