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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Prince Harry 'wanted out' of royal life years before Megxit but stayed for one relative

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stunned the world when they sensationally announced they were quitting their royal roles.

Barely two years after their fairytale royal wedding, the couple left the UK to set up new lives in California and sign big money deals with the likes of Netflix and Spotify.

The shock announcement appeared to come out of the blue - but earlier this year, Harry's long-held frustration at royal life was laid bare in his controversial memoir Spare.

And it seems he publicly hinted all might not have been well with his royal role three years before Megxit happened.

Prince Harry at King Charles' Coronation earlier this month (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In an interview six years ago in 2017, the Duke of Sussex admitted he had once "wanted out" of the Firm and just desired an "ordinary life".

In a chat, later reported in the Mail On Sunday, Harry, then 32, told of his struggles but said he ultimately decided to stick it out thanks to one relative.

He reportedly said: "I spent many years kicking my heels and I didn't want to grow up,' he admitted.

"I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself," he added, revealing he was motivated by his loyalty to his late grandmother the Queen.

Harry with wife Meghan Markle. The pair quit royal duties in early 2020 (AFP via Getty Images)

In the same interview, just a year after he met Meghan, Harry also told of his future wishes for him and his children.

He insisted: "I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too."

Meanwhile, it has now emerged that around the time of this interview in 2017 - just before his engagement to Meghan, Harry, along with now estranged brother Prince William had a secret meeting with their late mother's butler.

It is claimed the brothers met with Paul Burrell a week before Harry announced his engagement to Meghan.

Princess Diana with her former butler Paul Burrell (UK Press via Getty Images)
Princes William and Harry with their late mother who died aged just 36 in 1997 (Getty Images)

According to a source, Mr Burrell "shed some light on their memories" of the late Princess Diana in the "very low-key meeting".

The former butler, who also served as a footman for the late Queen, was known to have been a confidante to the brothers' mum - as she called him a "rock".

But following her untimely death in 1997 at the age of just 36, Mr Burrell wrote a book about her - much to her sons' dismay.

Harry and William were reported to have previously last spoken to the 64-year-old after Diana's funeral when they were 12 and 15.

But now, it has been claimed that the brothers met with the former butler alone in 2017, where he answered all of the questions the brothers' had.

The Sun's royal source said: "It was a very low-key meeting but the brothers wanted to speak to someone who had been close to their mother.

"There were some aspects of her life they felt Paul could provide better clarity on. They asked to keep it all under wraps and he respected that. Paul was happy to tell them everything he knew and shed some light on their memories."

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