Prince Harry has opened up about the emotional toll of leaving his royal life behind, revealing that he slipped into a two-week depression after relocating to Canada with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young son, Prince Archie.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, reflected on the difficult period during an appearance on MasterClass, explaining that his departure from the high-pressure environment he had grown accustomed to triggered an unexpected physical and emotional response.
“Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash, something that I’d never experienced before,” Harry recalled.
The royal admitted that the sudden absence of stress left him struggling to carry out even the simplest tasks around the house.
“It was as if I needed stress in order to get the adrenaline to make my brain function because I became useless around the house,” he explained.
“I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.”
Harry and Meghan, who welcomed Archie in 2019, spent time in Canada before announcing their decision to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family in 2020.
According to Harry, the move was intended to give the couple an opportunity to escape the pressures surrounding their lives and consider their future.
He explained that they wanted to “get some space away from everything just to be able to think.”
However, what was meant to be a reprieve from their demanding lives instead brought an unexpected emotional struggle for the duke, who found himself grappling with the effects of leaving that stressful environment behind.
His candid admission comes after reports that Harry, Meghan, Archie, and their daughter, Princess Lilibet, 5, relocated to the U.K. on Aug. 26.
Their return to Britain doesn’t mean they have completely cut ties with California. The couple will reportedly hold on to their Montecito property while establishing a private residence in the U.K.
Markle is said to be hoping to recreate the lavish lifestyle the couple enjoyed in California, with their potential new property mirroring their sprawling Montecito mansion in more ways than one.
The Duchess reportedly wants the U.K. residence to boast nine bedrooms—the same number found inside their California estate—as well as plenty of luxurious amenities.
And with Markle poised to make her return to acting, she is also said to be seeking a home with its own filming studio, according to the Daily Mail.
Harry, meanwhile, appears to be prioritizing privacy and space, reportedly searching for “a lot, and I mean a lot, of land, and no footpaths going across it to protect their privacy.”
While the couple hunts for their dream dwelling, the family is reportedly staying “indefinitely” in the spare room of a friend’s Cotswolds mansion.
Several sources told the outlet that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly been eyeing a $16.2 million property, but no deal has been made.
According to People, the family bid farewell to the West Coast on the evening of Aug. 25, traveling to England aboard a private jet.
Before their departure, Harry and Meghan spent their final days in Montecito, surrounded by some of their closest friends, as well as Ragland, an insider told the outlet.
“They wanted to spend time with the people they’re closest to before they left and for the kids to have some special time with friends,” the source said. “It wasn’t a goodbye forever. It was much more, ‘We’ll be back, but this is what we’re doing right now.’”
The insider added that emotions ran high as the Sussexes said goodbye to the life and loved ones they were leaving behind.
“They’ve been planning this for some time, and they feel it’s the right thing for their family, but that doesn’t mean leaving was easy. Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there. They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust. There’s excitement about what’s ahead too, especially for the kids,” the source added.
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