Prince Harry clears the air as he addresses ongoing speculation and makes his first statement on Meghan Markle’s divorce.
The Duke of Sussex, who joined NYT columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin for a wide-ranging interview on-stage in New York for Dealbook Summit 2024, spoke about the public fascination and scrutiny surrounding his marriage.
Sorkin told Harry that he “Google Newsed” him and how there had been a lot of articles speculation regarding their solo outings and what it means for them.
“Because you invited me, you should have known!” Prince Harry quipped as the audience laughed.
Sorkin responded, “True. Is that normal for you? The second there’s an article — she’s in California, you’re in New York — they say, ‘Well, what is happening with these two, right?’ Is that a good thing for you, in a way, that there’s so much interest in you?”
“No, that’s definitely not a good thing,” Harry said as he referenced the reported purchase of his Portugal home and his marriage. “Apparently. We’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, or 12 times as well. So, it’s just like, what?”
He continued, “It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it.”
“The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls,” Harry added. “Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So, I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”
Harry also acknowledged the attention on him saying that he had “no doubt” his conversation with Sorkin “will be spun or twisted somehow against me, and maybe you yourself will be trolled relentlessly.”
“For that, I can only apologize, but you did invite me, so it’s not my fault,” Prince Harry joked.
The statement comes amid reports that Prince Harry and Meghan were “separating professionally” after their joint ventures did not bring much spotlight. There were also reports that the couple purchased a holiday home in Portugal in an effort to obtain a ‘Golden Visa’ to easily travel in Europe.
