On Feb. 25, Prince Harry returned to England for the first time since reaching an agreement with the Queen about his future with the royal family on Jan. 18. Harry spoke at a sustainable travel conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was introduced to the podium by host, Ayesha Hazarika. During her introduction, Ayesha made quite a shocking revelation that proved just how serious Harry was about leaving royal life behind him now that he and wife Meghan Markle have re-located to Canada. “He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry,” Ayesha told the crowd.
Harry and Meghan have decided to live financially independent from the royal family in North America, and earlier this week, they announced their intention to no longer use “any iteration of the word ‘Royal'” in reference to themselves from here on out. Harry did not reference his exit from the royal family during his Edinburgh speech, and instead, focused on the subject of sustainable travel. However, he did speak about his and Meghan’s decision during a speech in London on Jan. 19.
“The UK Is my home and a place that I love,” Harry said. “That will never change. I have grown up feeling support from so many of you, and I watched as you welcomed Meghan with open arms as you saw me find the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life. I also know that you’ve come to know me well enough over these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do.” He added, “The decision I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges, and I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.”
🎥 Prince Harry has asked not to be called any of his royal titles. This is the moment he was introduced onstage as ‘Harry’ #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/a7flWXS2GJ
— Sussex Squad Podcast (@sussexsquadpod) February 26, 2020
Harry ultimately made the decision after Meghan faced years of criticism in the press during their relationship. The backlash pushed the couple to want a much more quiet life with their son, Archie. The changes in their roles and titles will officially go into effect on March 31, per the agreement that Harry made with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.