Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Rebecca Russell

Prince Harry is 'cursed with charisma but hates being a prince', says Diana author

Prince Harry's life since he and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals has been anything but uneventful.

The couple recently returned to the UK to attend some of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations and were seen at the Trooping the Colour parade and at the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.

While Harry has previously travelled back from California for the funeral of his grandfather, The Duke of Edinburgh, and for the unveiling of a statue of his mother in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, the reception the couple received from the crowds was mixed.

The Mirror's royal podcast, Pod Save the Queen, spoke to biographer, Andrew Morton, about his 25th book 'The Queen' and he shared his thoughts on The Duke of Sussex.

Morton explained how he believes Prince Harry is "cursed with charisma but hates being a prince" and went on to discuss the similarities between Harry and his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

A famed royal biographer has spoken about Prince Harry (Getty Images)

Love the royals? Sign u p for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .

Speaking about Prince Harry's plans for his departure, Andrew Morton told Pod Save the Queen: "They were thinking about living in New Zealand and they even spoke to the Prime Minister of New Zealand about this - so they had all kinds of plots and thoughts for their future.

"It didn't work out because when it actually comes down to it, Prince Harry is cursed with charisma but hates being a prince and I think that he saw Meghan as a way out.

"They didn't have to leave the Royal Family in the way that they did, but they did."

Diana's biographer said Prince Harry is "cursed with charisma" (AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew Morton told Pod Save the Queen that Harry "hates being a prince" (SplashNews.com)

The author continued: "Back in the late 1940's after they married, The Queen and Prince Philip lived in Malta for a while as he was pursuing his career in the Royal Navy and many thought he would end up as First Lord of the Admiralty as he was such a star.

"They never thought for a minute that George VI would die so soon and thought that they would have 20 years or so on the fringes of the Royal Family.

"So The Queen has always been very understanding of anybody who wants to step back for a few years and just enjoy family life because you're a long time being a royal."

Andrew Morton explained how similar Harry is to his late mother (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The author explained that when he watches Harry, he just sees Diana (Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the interview, Andrew Morton explained just how similar Prince Harry's style was at royal engagements to that of his late mother.

He said: "Prince Harry was and is a natural, he and his wife have got charisma and there is no denying that.

"People do respond to them in a very positive way when they meet him. There is obviously a lot of negativity surrounding their behaviour and their policies but Harry has always been someone who connects.

"And when I see Harry kneeling down with his arm around some kid, I am just watching Diana. It transports you back 25, 30 years."

While Prince Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey saw the couple deal the biggest blows to the Royal Family, Harry openly expressed his thoughts on The Firm and his position a number of times before this.

Prince Harry has made a number of comments over the years about the Royal Family (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Back in 2017, the prince spoke to journalist and biographer Angela Levin and revealed that he had thought about stepping back from his role before but stayed out of loyalty to The Queen.

He said at the time: "There was a time I felt I wanted out but then I decided to stay in and work out a role for myself.

"We are incredibly passionate with our charities and they have been chosen because they are on the path shown to me by our mother. I love charity stuff and meeting people."

He went on: "I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too. We don’t want to be just a bunch of celebrities but instead use our role for good.

"We want to make sure the Monarchy lasts and are passionate about what it stands for. We feel that the British public and the whole world needs institutions like this – but it can’t go on as it has done under the Queen.

"There will be changes and pressure to get them right. Things are moving so fast, especially because of social media, so we are involved in modernising the Monarchy.

"We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people and the Monarchy we represent. There is so much negative in the world – we as a family try to bring something positive."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.