Prince Harry Reveals the Advice He Got from Meghan That He Still 'Falls Back on' Amid Rift With Family
The Duke of Sussex shared that the advice has helped him navigate backlash, family dynamics, and life in the public eye.
For Prince Harry, the last several years have been a delicate balancing act between public scrutiny, personal upheaval, and the life he wants to build for his family, away from the royal spotlight. The hounding British press, the legal battles, and the challenges of stepping back from royal duties have required him to navigate some of the most turbulent periods of his life in the public eye.
Yet amid the chaos, he has found his steadying principle, a simple piece of advice from his wife, Meghan Markle, that he says he will always lean on. Speaking to The Guardian, after his recent trip to the UK, which included a rare meeting with King Charles after 19 months, he said that guidance has shaped the way he approaches both public life and private decisions, and how it continues to anchor him amid lingering challenges. Harry shared, "Just stick to the truth. It is the thing I always fall back on. Always." Calling it "the most efficient way to live," he added, "And if you think like that, who would be stupid enough to lie? It takes up too much time and effort."
For Harry, those words are his way to cut through the noise. He applied the same approach in his memoir, Spare, which he says was not about airing dirty laundry but setting the record straight. "It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. [It was] a series of corrections to stories already out there," he explained.
He is also aware that his openness 'annoys' some people, but he sees it as necessary. "One point of view had been put out, and it needed to be corrected," he explained. While parts of the press continue to portray him as unhappy or withdrawn, he disputes the idea. "It is only in certain elements of the press where you see this talk about me being down or saying I am not smiling. This comes from people who think they know what I am thinking and how I am feeling. They are wrong."
In fact, Harry says he’s content with his life. "I am very happy with who I am and I like the life that I live," he said. But he doesn’t downplay the challenges of recent years. Legal battles, public scrutiny, and personal disappointments have taken their toll. "I have certainly had to deal with some very stressful events over the last four years. There has been the uncertainty and stress of the litigation and finding out certain things that have really, really hurt," he admitted.
The recent UK trip gave him a chance to reconnect with causes he cares about, with colleagues, and with parts of his homeland he has always loved. I have always loved the UK, and I always will love the UK," he stressed. "It’s been good to reconnect with the causes I am passionate about. I have been able to spend some time with people whom I have known for so long. It is hard to do it from far away."
