The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Prince Harry: ‘Toxic’ atmosphere created by press forced us to leave
The Duke of Sussex has said the “toxic” atmosphere created by the British press forced him and his family to leave the UK.
Harry said his mental health was being destroyed by the coverage, in an interview with James Corden, host of the US talk show The Late Late Show.
The duke also addressed the controversy over The Crown’s portrayal of his family’s history and defended the regal drama, saying it does not “pretend to be news”.
He added he was “way more comfortable” with the popular Netflix series’ depiction of the monarchy then with articles written about the Sussexes.
The Queen’s grandson spoke candidly about family life, revealing son Archie’s first word was “crocodile”, how the Queen gave the 21-month-old a waffle maker for Christmas and that Meghan calls him “Haz”. He also revealed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh can use Zoom and have seen Archie “running around” in California.
Harry stressed his decision to move to America was “never walking away” but was about “stepping back rather than stepping down”, and insisted: “I will always be contributing. My life is public service.”
His comments were made before it was announced Harry and Meghan would be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey where they are expected to talk in-depth about their lives in America and the reasons for moving there.
Asked by Corden how he sees his life after lockdown, Harry, 36, replied: “My life is always going to be about public service and Meghan has signed up to that, and
the two of us enjoy doing that. Trying to bring some compassion and make people happy and try to change the world in any small way that we can.”
The pair chatted during an open-top bus tour of Los Angeles in an interview recorded before Harry and Meghan were stripped of their prestigious patronages last week after confirming they would not be returning to the UK.
Harry added: “It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment, 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 was like ‘This is toxic’.”
The duke went on to say: “So I did what any husband and what 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.
“I will always be contributing, my life is public service, so wherever I am in the world it is going to be the same thing.”
Much has been written about Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down as senior royals for personal and financial freedom early last year – dubbed Megxit.
Harry and Meghan have since forged ahead with their lives, signing lucrative deals with Spotify and Netflix to give them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.
They have also bought a multi-million-pound home in Montecito in California, launched a non-profit foundation and announced they are expecting their second child.
Acat lost 15 years ago has been reunited with her owner. Brandy, a brown tabby, was reunited on Monday with Charles, who adopted her as a two-month-old kitten in 2005.
“It’s amazing. I think it’s unbelievable,” he said.
“I saw her, I picked her up and she started to purr and it was very emotional,” Charles said.
“It was nice to have her in my arms again.
“I did break down and cry because I thought about all of the years I lost from her,” said Charles, a computer technician.
Brandy was found in Palmdale, about 40 miles from where Charles lives in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.
He said Brandy strayed soon after he adopted her.
“She went outside in the afternoon to our backyard,” he said.
But when he went to take her inside she was not there. Charles drove around looking for her, checked animal shelters and put up signs without any luck. “I was very sad,” he said. “I wanted her back because when I adopted her I made a moral obligation to take care of her for her life.”
He feared she had been killed by a car or a coyote.
“But I was hoping someone would take her off the streets to take care of her, and I guess that’s what happened,” he said.
Charles went on with his life. He moved to another place in the Valley and adopted two younger cats.
Then this week he received a call from the Los Angeles County animal shelter in Palmdale and another from the company that made a microchip implanted in Brandy when she was adopted.
Charles had changed his address and home phone but his mobile was the same as that on the chip.
“I was sceptical. I thought, must be a mistake,” Charles said.
“Maybe there’s a 1-in-amillion chance it’s Brandy. But after 15 years, it’s highly unlikely. Still, I said, yeah, the microchip wouldn’t lie.”
Charles suspects somebody found Brandy as a kitten and kept her all those years without checking for a microchip. He believes she must have become separated or run off several months ago.
Charles decided he could not keep Brandy in his small flat with two younger cats so she is staying with his sister nearby.
“She seems very content,” Charles said.
COSMO LUDOVIK FAWKES HUNTE, 13TH EARL OF KINMUCK
Well, slather me in hollandaise, pop me in a muffin and call me eggs Benedict! I must say I’m jolly impressed with Aberdeen City Council’s most newsworthy member, Alan Donnelly. As far as I understand it, despite not being from one of the more notable families, he nevertheless appears to possess the kind of cast-iron self-belief in the face of all evidence to the contrary one would normally associate with the aristocracy. Or Gavin Williamson.
This is a trait of which my own family is justly proud, so it’s quite disconcerting to observe it manifest in the lower orders. Like seeing the royal warrant on a vape shop.
Donnelly’s pig-headed refusal to accept he’s done anything wrong simply because he’s been convicted in a criminal court of an imprisonable offence reminds me fondly of my great-grandfather, the 10th earl, a paragon of defiance whenever the local do-gooders turned up to wring their hands at him after another servant had been hospitalised with exhaustion. Did he kowtow to the busybodies who thought they knew best? No. He saw them off the premises by threatening to uncork the vial of smallpox he kept handy for the purpose. The same one he used to motivate slovenly staff.
Good old-fashioned British strength of character, that’s what it is – just the sort of admirable recalcitrance which gave us The Empire, Brexit and 23 series of Midsummer Murders.
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of witch-hunters with the all the other councillors, the Standards Commission and the increasingly Stalinist Conservative Party by pillorying the poor fellow it’s high time he was presented with some sort of award. I happen to have a statuette of a giraffe in my collection which would be eminently suitable for the purpose, as it too has an unbelievable brass neck.
VIEW FROM THE MIDDEN: RURAL AFFAIRS WITH JOCK ALEXANDER
It’s been a reproductive week in the village. Aye, but nae lik ‘at, ye filthy aminals.
As we tak in the news that lockdoon will remain till the end of April, and we order in another twa months supply o’ essential supplies like whisky, creme eggs and new jammies twa sizes up fae wir last eens, those o’ us still wi’ hair stairt tae look thoughtfully at wir sheep-shearing equipment as a viable
solution to nae barbers being open for another nine wiks.
So as a distraction fae a’ that, I’ve been gan big on space news. Files we continue tae ponder if Boris is on the same planet as the rest o’ us, I’ve been following the reports o’ the wee trundly robot on Mars. Gaan aboot your business in a wildly inhospitable environment and total isolation is affa impressive. But enough aboot me, the robot is a stammygaster an’ a’.
Closer tae hame, there’s the north o’ Scotland’s upcoming role as a launch site for space rockets, and a company in Forres fit’s making components using 3D printing technology.
In this particular instance, the 3D printers in Forres is gan tae produce components using a blend of metals designed tae withstand the extreme caul and high pressure o’ space. And fit wi’
Forres being jist up the road, and Meikle Wartle being no stranger tae either o’ that extremes, if they can dae it, fit wye nae us?
Weel there are a few reasons fit wye we probably canna dae fit that company’s daein, chief among these is that 3D printing technology has yet tae reach Meikle Wartle, proudly the last village in the north-east wi’ a working Telex machine, doggedly hudding oot against the new fangled ‘Fax’ (or “the de’il’s typewriter”, as Feel Moira cries it).
Noo the concept of 3D printing has ayewiz baffled me, even more so fan I found oot that ye can use a 3D printer tae print baffles. So I’ve hid a lookie on the interweb, and tae be honest I’m naen the wiser. But apparently it allows ye tae mak components without having tae cut things oot, or pit ony glue in. Instead, ye tak a digital model and turns it into a
three-dimensional object by adding material one layer at a time to make something amazing.
Weel, that is a concept we in the village a’ ready ken a’ aboot. We’ve a’ got a midden, fit started aff as a single layer o’ sharn but has grown over time, ending up as a highly complex creation fit fairly taks yer breath awa.
Cheerio!
Another twa months supply o’ essentials like whisky and creme eggs