Prince Harry tells all to James Corden on Archie's first word, his views on The Crown and family life with Meghan

Prince Harry tells all to James Corden - James Corden's The Late Late Show/YouTube
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Duke of Sussex has blamed the media for his departure from royal life, saying that the British press were “destroying his mental health.”

Prince Harry, 36, told chat show host James Corden that things had become so “toxic” he felt he had no option but to remove his family from the situation.

The Duke’s 17-minute segment on Corden’s The Late Late Show, which included a cameo appearance from his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, came ahead of the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, to be broadcast in the US next Sunday.

It also coincided with the Queen’s first public comments about the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, illustrating that their engagements were no longer co-ordinated with those of the Royal Family.

The reaction to his interview at Buckingham Palace was one of resigned shoulder-shrugging as sources said there was no desire to offer comment or “create a drama” every time the couple appeared on television.

“They are getting on with their lives,” one told the Telegraph. “Everyone knew about it and it was their own choice.”

A source close to the Duke said he considered it a good opportunity to have some fun, whilst also opening up about his life and his decisions during what had been “a bit of a heavy time.”

The segment was filmed in Los Angeles on February 5, before it was confirmed that the Sussexes would not be returning to royal life.

Although they had been given “an indication” of what was to come, nothing had been finalised and at the time, the couple did not know for certain that they would be stripped of their royal patronages and titles, it was claimed.

Meghan holding Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - Getty
Meghan holding Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - Getty
The bus tour
The bulk of the interview was filmed on the top deck of a sightseeing bus as it cruised around Los Angeles, offering plenty of opportunity for comedy.

As the Duke jumped aboard, Corden told him to pay the fare, prompting him to quip “you know us royals, we don't carry cash.”

He also admitted it was his first time on an open-top bus because “we're not really allowed to” although he claimed he had always wanted to go sightseeing. When the driver braked and a trolley holding their afternoon tea, “a little slice of home”, jolted into Prince Harry, he swore in shock before spitting out his tea in hysterics.

Netflix
The Duke took the opportunity to make several references to Netflix, the streaming service with which the Sussexes have signed a multi-million content deal.

He gave his seal of approval to The Crown, despite a slew of criticism about its portrayal of his family history, not least involving his parents, saying it was fictional and did not “pretend to be news”.

He added: “It's loosely based on the truth. Of course it's not strictly accurate but it gives you a rough idea of that lifestyle and the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else - and what can come from that.

“I'm way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself. Because that's obviously fiction, take it how you will, but this is reported on as fact because you're supposedly news. And I have a real issue with that.”

The Duke joked that he would like actor Damian Lewis to play him in the show.

Stepping back from royal duties
The Duke insisted that when he moved to California last year, he did not believe he was “stepping down” from the Royal Family but was simply “stepping back”.

He said: “It was a really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw.

“We all know what the British press can be like and it was destroying my mental health, I was like, this is toxic.

“So I did what any husband and what any father would do, I was like, I need to get my family out of here.

“But we never walked away. As far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away. I will always be contributing.

“My life is public service, so wherever I am in the world it’s always going to be the same thing.” He added: “Meghan signed up to that, and the two of us enjoy doing that.@

James Corden and Prince Harry - The Late Late Show/YouTube
James Corden and Prince Harry - The Late Late Show/YouTube
Archie
The Duke revealed that his son Archie, who turns two in May was “hysterical” and had “the most amazing personality.”

“He's already putting three, four words together, he's already singing songs,” he said.

Asked what his first word was, the Duke replied proudly: “Crocodile, three syllables.”

He claimed that when the Queen had asked what his son wanted for Christmas, the Duchess said a waffle maker, and so that was what she sent.

“Meg makes up a beautiful organic mix,” he said. “In the waffle maker, flip it, out it comes. He loves it. Archie wakes up in the morning and literally just goes: Waffle? Done.”

He revealed that both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh could use Zoom and have seen Archie “running around”. He laughed as he added that the Duke, who was since admitted to hospital, simply slammed down the lid of the laptop at the end of the call, rather than pressing the button.

James Corden and Prince Harry take a double decker bus tour through LA - The Late Late Show/YouTube
James Corden and Prince Harry take a double decker bus tour through LA - The Late Late Show/YouTube
Meghan cameo
During a visit to the house that featured in 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, the Duke rapped the famous theme song, originally performed by Will Smith.

After Prince Harry popped inside to use the bathroom, Corden tried to convince him to buy the sprawling mansion before calling his wife to make the decision.

The pregnant Duchess, 39, made a brief appearance after Corden called her from the Duke’s mobile, having looked her up under “M”.

When the presenter suggested they buy the house, she said she thought they had “done enough moving”.

Meghan revealed her husband’s nickname as she said: “Haz, how is the tour of LA going?”

Corden later teased his friend, saying: “Haz? I didn't know we were calling you Haz now” to which the Duke responded: “Well you're not my wife.”

The Duchess of Sussex briefly appeared in the segment - YouTube
The Duchess of Sussex briefly appeared in the segment - YouTube
Life in California
Asked about a normal night in, Harry said: “Depending on how the day's been, how busy it's been, we'll do Archie's tea, give him a bath, read him a book, put him down. “Go downstairs, Meg might cook a meal, might order a takeaway. Go upstairs, sit in bed, turn the TV on and watch some Jeopardy, maybe watch a little bit of Netflix.”

On the early days of their relationship, he said they went “from zero to 60” in the first two months.

“The second date, I was starting to think wow, this is pretty special,” he said.

“Dating with me, or any other member of the royal family I guess, is flipped upside down.

“All the dates become dinners or watching TV or chatting at home. Then eventually, once you become a couple, then you venture out to dinners, to the cinema and everything else.

“Everything was done back to front with us. So we got to spend an enormous amount of time just the two of us.

“There were no distractions, and that was great, it was an amazing thing.”