The Duke of Sussex made the comments during a surprise appearance in New York, where he was speaking at the NEXUS Global Summit on FridayPhil Norris Editor, Gloucestershire Live and Patrick Hill
15:33, 28 Jun 2025
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex(Image: Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala)
Prince Harry made a veiled remark about the Royal Family during a surprise appearance in New York.
Speaking at the NEXUS Global Summit, he discussed his personal journey from being born into a life of duty to finding his own purpose, highlighting the transition from obligatory service to voluntary service.
He also underscored that the Archewell Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife Meghan in 2020, is guided by principles of “compassionate leadership” and a commitment to “something greater than ourselves”.
Harry expressed optimism about grassroots initiatives, stating: “The thing that gives me the most hope is the grassroots approach. Many of you here today are connected and involved with so many community solutions, because it’s what energises all of you, and that service part is really what energises me as well.”
This comes after the Queen confirmed in 2021 that the couple would not continue with their Royal responsibilities and duties following their decision to step back from Royal life.
At the time, Harry and Meghan responded with a statement saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
During his recent remarks, Harry also encouraged the audience to prioritize mutual care and the well-being of future generations, as well as to address systemic issues rather than just their symptoms.
Speaking at an event, he encouraged attendees to think about the legacy they want to leave behind and to ensure their investments align with that vision, as well as urging them to use their influence to drive significant collaboration and change, reports the Mirror.
He shared a personal insight, revealing: “As the world gets harder, as people’s lives become harder, compassion can shrink. My wife said to me very early on in our relationship ‘if you live your life by truth, it’s the most efficient way to live.
“We will continue to live our life by truth and we will continue to stand up for what we believe in – the difference between right and wrong.”
Harry made the comments during a surprise appearance at a conference in New York(Image: Getty Images)
In conversation with Rachel Gerrol, co-founder and CEO of NEXUS Global, Harry discussed his rationale for campaigning on online safety, explaining: “It wasn’t something that was sexy, it wasn’t something that we were necessarily passionate about.
“But it became very clear to us very quickly, speaking to a lot of experts, that for all the work we are collectively doing, and all the progress we are achieving – if the digital world is not done responsibly, it’s going to turn back that progress. And we can see that with climate change.'”.
He further stated: “We started to meet a lot of parents who had lost their kids to social media – the majority through suicide – and that’s when it really started to make sense to us.
“One of the reasons why the digital world was so important to us is because my wife, in 2018, was the most trolled person in the world. There was a lived experience, but at no point did we suddenly think ‘OK, well, let’s take this industry on’.”