Prince Harry has disclosed the simple rule he and Meghan Markle follow to keep their marriage strong, insisting he tries not to spend more than 10 days away from his wife and their two children. The Duke of Sussex opened up about balancing his professional commitments with family life in a new MasterClass episode, Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss.
The 10-day rule
Prince Harry said spending time with Meghan and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was central to maintaining his happiness. “The biggest factor for me is the energy and the joy and happiness that I get being with my family, especially our kids, and the joy and happiness I get by being on the ground for my work,” he said.
He added: “The key to finding the joy and happiness balance is no more than 10 days away from my wife and kids.” Harry explained that the rule helped him balance his work and sense of purpose with his responsibilities as a husband and father.
Balancing work and family
“This is balancing my work and the purpose behind that as well as being a dad and a husband and the sort of multi-identity elements coming together,” he said.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they would step back from their roles as senior working royals and pursue a more independent future. Elsewhere in the MasterClass, Harry spoke about his mental health following the family's move to Canada in late 2019.
Adrenaline crash and depression
He described experiencing an unexpected crash after leaving what he characterised as a highly stressful environment. “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,” he said.
The father of two explained that the experience affected his ability to function at home. “I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn't function without adrenaline,” he added.
