Prince Harry said his "conscience is clear" over revelations in his memoir Spare and rejected claims that he had aired "dirty linen in public," speaking during a visit to Kyiv where he promoted the work of his Invictus Games Foundation.
In an interview with the Guardian, the duke said the book contained a "difficult message" but that he had told it "in the best way possible." The comments came days after a short meeting with his father, King Charles III, their first in more than a year, and as Harry prepares a legal case in London against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, over allegations of phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.
Harry, who with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from official royal duties in 2020, reiterated that his aim was not revenge but accountability. "It is not about revenge, it is about accountability," he told the newspaper. Associated Newspapers has denied the allegations and called the claims "preposterous smears." The lawsuit names other public figures, including Sir Elton John and Baroness Lawrence, who have also accused the publisher of unlawful practices.
On his visit to the Ukrainian capital, Harry laid a wreath at Maidan Square and met veterans whose recovery and rehabilitation the Invictus Games supports. The programme was created to assist service personnel dealing with life-changing injuries. "Nobody should feel embarrassed or ashamed about their disabilities," he said, adding that Invictus had helped give him "purpose" after his military career ended.
Asked about his portrayal in the British media, Harry said certain members of the press had "destroyed" him but that he still felt a lot of love from the British public. He also referred to recent legal successes: in January, the publisher of The Sun agreed to pay "substantial damages" and apologised as part of a settlement over claims of unlawful intrusion.
Harry described parts of the last four years as "very stressful" and said he had been "finding out certain things that have really, really hurt." He said he copes by boxing to relieve stress and by focusing on his public causes. During the interview he suggested he would like to return to the United Kingdom more often to see his family and said that for the coming year "the focus really has to be on my dad."
The duke's public reflections come amid continuing scrutiny of his disclosures in Spare, his media appearances including a Netflix series with his wife and a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, and the legal battles that stem from his move to the United States. Supporters of the royal family and of Harry have debated whether his revelations constitute a necessary airing of personal experiences or an airing of private matters. Harry has consistently said his disclosures were intended to explain his personal journey and to advocate for the causes he supports.
Legal proceedings against Associated Newspapers are set to take place in the High Court in London later this year. The publisher has maintained its denial of wrongdoing. The duke, now living in the United States, returned to the UK last week to attend a series of events related to his charitable work and has said he remains committed to supporting veterans and other causes internationally.