Prince Harry 'wanted out' of The Firm years before leaving - but stayed for one relative

decision to step down as a senior royal shook the Firm - but it was reportedly a long time coming.

The Duke and his wife made the shock announcement in January 2020, before leaving the UK to make a new life for themselves in California two months later. For royal watchers, the decision appeared seismic - dividing the in a way few could imagined. In the months and years that followed, the prince's dissatisfaction with life at the palace became increasingly apparent, with revelations in his bestselling memoir Spare painting a very different picture of a family many feel as though they know personally.

'Megxit' hardly came as a bolt from the blue for Harry himself, however, as he's admitted that despite having 'wanted out' for many years, his loyalty to one relative in particular persuaded him to stay. Harry made a flying visit to the UK LAST YEAR, where he attended an Invictus Games service at St Paul's Cathedral. His father and brother weren't in attendance. Here the looks at the one person that kept Harry committed to his royal duties, even though he longed for a more 'ordinary life'...

In a 2017 interview, the admitted he had once 'wanted out' of the Firm and just desired an "ordinary life". In the chat, later reported in the , Harry, then 32, told of his struggles but said he ultimately decided to stick it out thanks to one relative. He reportedly admitted: "I spent many years kicking my heels and I didn't want to grow up.

"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. 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."

According to royal author , it would appear Meghan also has no desire to return to life in the UK. In his 2023 book , Scobie claimed the Duchess of Sussex 'never wants to set foot again in England' again as she'd 'never felt at home'. Controversial writer Scobie also asserted that Meghan, 42, chose not to attend King Charles' Coronation because she refuses to "dive back into the soap opera of the court".

This comes as Harry and Meghan arrive in Nigeria for a three-day visit. Their first engagement was at a school in the capital Abuja as part of a two-day mental health summit run by the GEANCO Foundation - an organisation focused on menstrual health and women's education. Harry said: "If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you've lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation. We are here today to tell you that that is not the case. Every single one of those things is completely normal."

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

READ MORE: