Prince Harry’s close friend, Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras, has spoken up about the royal’s decision to step back in an emotional new interview.
Figueras, who has played polo with Prince Harry for a number of years and has since grown close to him, revealed the harrowing extent of what Harry and Meghan were going through – and it’s provided us with a pretty clear understanding as to why they decided to move away from the UK and set up a base in Canada.
Prince Harry’s close friend Nacho Figueras has opened up about the emotional toll things have taken on the royal.
(Getty)Speaking to ABC News in their royal special, Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan and The Crown, the polo player mentioned that he was in regular contact with Harry, and knew of the debilitating extent of the emotional toll things had taken on him.
“He has suffered a lot from all of the things that have happened to him. He wants to live a normal life, as normal as his life is going to be right? Because when you have a thousand paparazzi outside your house in Canada waiting to get one picture of your son that’s not very, very normal,” he said in the special.
Figueras was of course referring to the constant stream of media who have swarmed around their current residence on Vancouver Island in the aftermath of the #Megxit scandal – with one even hiding in nearby bushes to get a snap Meghan and baby Archie out on a walk.
Harry and Meghan’s Canadian residence was swamped with paparazzi as soon as word got out that they were staying there.
(Getty)Nacho also explained a key reason why Harry and Meghan ultimately moved away from royal life in the UK and started setting up a base in Canada.
“He’s protecting his family, he’s protecting his wife and his child—he was a son of someone that has suffered the attack from the press firsthand [his mother Princess Diana], and it’s undeniable, and he doesn’t want for that to happen to his family,” the polo player explained.
Another of the Sussexes close friends, renowned British primatologist and anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall, also opened up about where Harry’s head might have been when he and Meghan made the call to leave.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Jane spoke about how Harry had “felt constrained” and that he desperately wanted Archie to “grow up away from all the pomp and royalty”.
WATCH: Prince Harry shares an emotional speech after stepping back as a royal family member. Story continues after video…
Earlier in January, the royal delivered a speech himself, which touched on the deep emotional toll the split had taken on him and his wife.
“It brings me great sadness that it has come to this,” he said during the emotionally-charged moment.
“The decision I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly.
“Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.”
Harry ended his speech by saying: “This role has taught me more about what is right and just then I could have ever imagined, we are taking a leap of faith – thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step.”
