Prince Harry admits he is ‘hurt’ by Queen removing royal patronages

Prince Harry today said he was ‘hurt’ by the Queen’s decision to remove his royal patronages and honorary titles, but insisted he ‘completely respects’ her decision.

The Duke of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that he would ‘still love for us to be able to continue to support those associations, albeit without the title or the role’.

The interview was filmed before Buckingham Palace announced on February 19 that Harry and his wife Meghan Markle would lose all their remaining royal titles.

Harry and Meghan attend the Royal Albert Hall in March 2020, which the Duke of Sussex attended as, Captain General Royal Marines and the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines

The Queen during the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London last November

Harry inspects a parade at RAF Honington in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in July 2017 while wearing ceremonial uniform. He had been honorary air commandant of RAF Honington

Oprah asked Harry about the decision which was ‘coming up at the end of this month’, and he said it would be that ‘they will be removing everything’.

The chat show host asked Harry: ‘Are you hurt by that decision?’

Harry replied: ‘I am hurt. But at the same time, I completely respect my grandmother’s decision. I would still love for us to be able to continue to support those associations, albeit without the title or the role.

Oprah also asked the couple: ‘Could you be as satisfied now, doing this through your own organization, Archewell?’

Harry, or Captain Wales as he was known in the Army, wears camouflage makes his early morning pre-flight checks in the cockpit at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in December 2012

Meghan attends a workshop with children at the National Theatre in 2018. She lost her role as patron of the organisation when Buckingham Palace announced the changes last month 

Prince Harry lost his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, His is pictured meeting 42 Commando Royal Marines at their base in Bickleigh, Devon, in February 2019

And Meghan replied: ‘Well, we… this is what we’re doing, right? We’re still doing it. We’re still going to always do the work.

‘But I also think it’s important for you or everyone to know this decision that was made about patronages and all of that was before anyone knew that we were sitting down with you.’

Oprah added: ‘I heard a story that you’re getting punished now. Those were being taken away because you did sit down with me.’

But Meghan said: Those letters, those conversations, that was finalised before anyone even knew that we were going to sit down. So, that’s just not true.’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex speak to Oprah Winfrey in their bombshell interview