Prince Harry Breaks His Silence On ‘Sussexit’: ‘There Was No Other Option’

Prince Harry has finally broken his silence on his and his wife’s decision to quit the British royal family. The Duke of Sussex expressed his thoughts at a formal dinner at popular restaurant the Ivy at a fundraiser for Sentebale, the charity he established as a teenager.

Harry began his speech by talking about his great sadness over the decision, per The Daily Mail. Harry explained that when he and his wife, Meghan Markle, first got married, they were excited with the challenge to serve the monarchy.

However, after what seemed like a campaign of unrelenting negative press, Harry said that he felt like he had no option but to step away.

“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… and I know I haven’t always gotten it right but as far as this goes there really was no other option,” he said.

“What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away and we certainly aren’t walking away from you,” the redheaded prince added.

He continued to say that though he had hoped that he could have served his grandmother and the rest of the royal family without public funding, the option was not possible.

He stated that the fact that he was willing to quit the monarchy — “all I have ever known” — was a sign of the gravity of the circumstances and that he hoped that the decision would help bring him a peaceful life.

“I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities and military communities that are so important to me,” he said.

Harry then thanked his audience for helping give him an education about living and expressed his gratitude for their support during the difficult time.

The duke then added a lighter anecdote to the speech, claiming that Archie had seen snow for the first time, to the baby’s great delight.

Harry concluded his comments by emphasizing his upmost respect for his grandmother and monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and expressing his thanks to his family.

The remarks come the day after the public learned about the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, the two have agreed to not use the HRH titles and will be repaying the $3 million spent on refurbishing Frogmore House in exchange for the chance to live in North America and become financially independent.