Prince Harry: I’m grateful to have been able to change my environment

World

Published: 04 March 2023

Prince Harry: I’m grateful to have been able to change my environment

Prince Harry, who served for ten years in the Army and did two tours in Afghanistan, said that one of the reasons why so many people in the UK did not support the troops was because they “assumed” that all serving military personnel were in favor of the invasion.

Edited by| Hugh Gey

World section - CJ journalist

World – 4 march 2023

The Duke of Sussex has said “a lot of us” in the Army “didn't necessarily agree or disagree” with the war in Afghanistan.

“But once you sign up, you do what you're told to do,” he told trauma expert Dr Gabor Maté in a live-streamed conversation.

“There was a lot of us that didn't necessarily agree or disagree, but you were doing what you were trained to do. You're doing what you were sent to do.”

The Duke also admitted that he has “lost a lot” by turning his back on royal duties and relocating to California.

But he said that in changing the “root cause” of his issues, he had gained the ability to bring up his children in a more “beneficial” environment.

The Duke said his own childhood experiences had left him in a position in which he smothered his children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, with love and affection.

“I as a father feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any trauma or any negative experiences that I've had as a kid or as a man growing up.

“I’m grateful to have been able to change my environment,” he said.

“When there are tough decisions to be put in front of you, there's a lot of fear involved where you perhaps as an individual, as a husband, as a father, you know what the right decision is but you’re afraid of making it because of what you’re going to lose.

“I’ve lost a lot. But at the same time, I’ve gained a lot. To see my kids growing up here the way they are, I just can't imagine how that would have been possible back in that environment.”

The Duke said he “certainly did not” see himself as a victim but said that he considered his memoir, Spare, “an act of service”.

“Once the book came out I felt incredibly free, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders,” he added.

“The system of which I was, I guess to some extent still am, a part of doesn’t encourage free living.”

Written by Castle Journal