Prince Harry reportedly refused to discuss three fellow members of the Royal Family in a recent public appearance, a source claims. The Duke of Sussex last week delivered a talk with a neuroscientist on grief and mental health for the MasterClass video learning streaming platform.
Harry's talk with Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor
Harry told Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor he fell into depression after arriving in Canada in the crisis surrounding his and Meghan Markle's exit as senior, working royals. The Duke also spoke movingly of his grief for his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
But while Harry was willing to talk about Diana, he refused to discuss his brother, the Prince of Wales, sister-in-law, Princess Catherine and his scandal-hit uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a source told Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack newsletter.
Off-limits subjects
They told the publication: "Harry was willing to talk about Diana, grief and losing his mother. What he wasn't willing to discuss was William, Catherine or Uncle Andrew. Those subjects were off-limits."
An insider told the newsletter Harry is not "selling royal secrets" this time around, but is instead sharing his own memories, which are "worth a quarter of a million dollars". That comment came as it emerged a source close to Harry confirmed he was paid for the session. The Daily Mail reported the Duke may have received US$100,000 (£75,578) plus a share of subscription revenues to the online platform.
Payment and strained relations
The source confirmed Harry had been paid but said exact details were not discussed. They added: "I'd encourage everyone to watch it before casting any judgment. They added Harry should not be criticised for speaking from the heart.
Harry's relationship with William has been fraught for a number of years despite the siblings having previously been close for years. The Duke made a number of allegations against his brother and Princess Catherine in his memoir, Spare, including that they encouraged him to wear Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005. Harry accepted responsibility for the choice, which caused a scandal when pictures of him in the uniform were published in the press.
The Duke refused to comment on Andrew in March after the former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's legal team have strenuously and repeatedly denied the allegation. Harry, who was speaking in Jordan at the time, said he did not want to answer questions about his uncle as it would distract from the humanitarian purpose of his trip.
Personal revelations
In the deeply personal exchange with Dr O'Connor released last Thursday, Harry said he left the UK and moved to Canada with Meghan and baby Archie in 2019 to "get some space away from everything". He said: "I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn't function without adrenaline."
The Sussexes stayed on Vancouver Island before Harry and Meghan quit the working monarchy early in 2020 and eventually moved to California. In a U-turn, the couple returned with their children to live in the UK in August after six years in the US. Hollywood Reporter previously said instructors on the Masterclass platform make about US$100,000 (£75,578) up front and get 30% of the revenue their classes generate.
