Prince Harry Admits He 'Felt Forced' to Leave the Royal Family in 2020

In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world after they announced they would take a step back from their royal duties, but the Duke of Sussex's recent court interaction showed the power dynamics behind his controversial move to the U.S.

"It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The U.K. is my home," Harry said in his Thursday, December 7, court witness statement.

The Duke of Sussex is currently fighting the Home Office to maintain his security privileges while in the U.K. and revealed he didn't enthusiastically become an expatriate.

"The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the U.S.," the famous redhead continued.

After losing his HRH status, Harry was open about the fears he had surrounding the welfare of his household.

"That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too," he added.

This wouldn't be the first time Harry alluded to being pushed out of his role, as the Duke of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey they "never left" the monarchy.

"We never left the family and we only wanted to have the same type of role that exists, right? There’s senior members of the family and then there are non-senior members," the Suits star explained in 2021.

The Sussexes had hoped to transition into similar roles that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have, but the plan was shut down.

"And we said, specifically, ‘We’re stepping back from senior roles to be just like several . . .’ I mean, I can think of so many right now who are all . . . they’re royal highnesses, prince or princess, duke or duchess . . . who earn a living, live on palace grounds, can support the Queen if and when called upon. So we weren’t reinventing the wheel here," she confessed.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

During the couple's interview with Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex admitted to battling with suicidal ideation while being in The Firm, but Harry's relatives didn't help him and his wife.

"My biggest concern was history repeating itself and I’ve said that before on numerous occasions, very publicly," Harry told the talk show host. "And what I was seeing was history repeating itself."

"But more, perhaps. Or far more dangerous because then you add race in and you add social media in. And when I’m talking about history repeating itself, I’m talking about my . . . my mother," he said in reference to Princess Diana's fatal car crash, which occurred while she was escaping the paparazzi in Paris, France.

Court experts were quoted in Marie Claire.