Prince Harry’s Confessions: Why ‘Haz’ Left ‘Toxic’ England, and His Take on 'The Crown'

Prince Harry is opening up on his life with Meghan Markle and their decision to step away from their royal duties.

In his interview on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Harry denied that he left the royal family. He stressed, “It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down.”

Harry said he was removing his family from a “toxic” environment, explaining, “As I think a lot of people saw, we all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health… I did what any husband, any father, would do. I needed to get my family out of here."

“But we never walked away. And as far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away,” he added. “I will always be contributing, but my life is public service, so wherever I am in the world, it’s going to be the same thing.”

In an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II, it had been announced that the pair would not be returning to their royal duties. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.”

“Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” the statement continued. “While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

Chatting with James on a Hollywood tour bus, Harry also shared his take on “The Crown,” which he said he has watched. He commented, “They don’t pretend to be news. It’s fictional. But it’s loosely based on the truth. Of course, it’s not strictly accurate, of course not, but loosely it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that.”

“I’m way more comfortable with ‘The Crown’ than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself,” Harry admitted. “Because… [‘The Crown’] is obviously fiction, take it how you will. But this is being reported on as fact because you’re supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.”

The UK government has criticized “The Crown” for not featuring a disclaimer that it is fiction.

Harry also dished on when he knew that Meghan was “the one.” He shared, “The second date, I was starting to think this was pretty special. It was just the fact that we hit it off with each other. And we were just so comfortable in each other's company."

Harry also pointed out that dating a Royal has its challenges since things are done “upside down.” He explained, “All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home. And then eventually, once you become a couple, then you venture out to dinners, to the cinema and everything else. Everything was done back to front with us. So actually, we got to spend an enormous amount of time just the two of us rather than going to friends' houses or out for dinner where there were other distractions. There were no distractions and that was great, it was an amazing thing. We went from zero to 60 in the first two months."

Along with driving around Los Angeles, Harry and James also made two pit stops, including one at the Bel-Air mansion where “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was filmed. James even FaceTimed Meghan, persuading her to buy the home. In response, Meghan said, “I think we've done enough moving” before revealing Harry’s nickname: “Haz”!