Prince Harry Says He Ultimately Abandoned Royal Life Out Of Fear For His Safety

Extreme notoriety is enough to make a person feel unsafe. Even in the United States, Hollywood’s “American royalty” can find themselves in scary situations with fans. But the royals’ popularity in Britain is on another level, especially considering there is a mysterious but “mutually beneficial relationship between the royal family and the British tabloids,” as Harry told Oprah Winfrey via The New York Times. And when public sentimentality turns against you, Harry seems to allude to the fact that it can be downright terrifying.

In a written statement, the Duke of Sussex claimed, “The UK is my home, and the UK is central to the heritage of my children. It is a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live in the United States. That cannot happen if it is not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.” It was his response to comments made during his police protection case that proposed it was his choice to step back as a member of the royal working family; therefore, he should not receive automatic police protection when in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, his barrister (a British position similar to a U.S. trial lawyer) Shaheed Fatima KC has disputed that the prince ever had a choice, noting Harry’s statement that read, “It was with great sadness for the both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country.”