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Entertainment

According to Prince Harry, No One in the Royal Family Wants to be King or Queen

By Editorial Staff

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In a revealing new interview with Newsweek magazine, Prince Harry has spoken out about juggling the demands of royalty with his desire for a “normal life,” suggesting that no one in the royal family actually wants to take the throne.

“We are involved in modernizing the British monarchy,” he told the magazine. “We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people.”

“Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time,” he continued.

Check out highlights from the full interview below.

MUST-SEE: Prince Harry’s Name Isn’t Harry, And We Can’t Help But Feel Duped

This statement from Harry, who is currently fifth in line to the throne (behind his father, Prince Charles; older brother, Prince William; and nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte) could potentially cause controversy: It marks the first time that a royal has publicly voiced a reluctance to ascend to the throne.

Harry also spoke frankly about the 1997 funeral of his mother Princess Diana, when the 12-year-old prince joined his older brother (who was 15 at the time), his father, grandfather, and uncle, Earl Spencer, as they walked behind her coffin in a funeral procession.

“My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television,” he said. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”

MUST-SEE: Beloved Princess Diana Is Being Honored in a Big Way

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The prince revealed that he tries his hardest to live an “ordinary life,” telling the magazine: “I do my own shopping. Sometimes…I worry someone will snap me with their phone. But I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too.”

“Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping,” he added.

Just another reason to love the down-to-earth prince.

This post was written by Katie Rosseinsky. For more, check out our sister site Grazia.

NEXT: See some of Prince Harry and Prince William’s cutest sibling moments!

  1. William Harry December 1986

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    December 1986

    Harry and William pose with their parents at the family's Kensington Palace home.

  2. WIlliam Harry May 1985

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    May 1985

    The royal family was photographed visiting Venice, Italy in the mid-1980s.

  4. William Harry October 1985

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    October 1985

    William, Harry, and Diana pose at Kensington Palace.

  5. William Harry October 1985

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    October 1985

    A young William and his brother, Harry, pose with their father, Charles, at Kensington Palace.

  6. William Harry July 1986

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    July 1986

    Diana, Charles, and their two boys pictured in Tetbury, England.

  8. William Harry July 1986

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    July 1986

    William and Harry posed in front of Highgrove House in matching, mini army uniforms in summer 1986.

  9. William Harry July 1986

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    July 1986

    The young boys were once spotted playing with their mother outside Highgrove House.

  10. William Harry April 1987

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    April 1987

    William and Harry playing in Scotland in the late 1980s.

  12. William Harry June 1987

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    June 1987

    The brothers were adorably photographed at Cirencester Park Polo Club in summer 1987.

  13. William Harry June 1987

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    June 1987

    William and Harry posed with their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, at a polo club in Windsor, England.

  14. William Harry August 1987

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    August 1987

    Charles and Diana with their children in Spain in summer 1987.

  16. William Harry June 1988

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    June 1988

    Harry stuck his tongue out at photographers while standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony in summer 1988.

  17. William Harry June 1989

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    June 1989

    The brothers looked dapper at a royal event in London in June 1989.

  18. Harry William September 1989

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    September 1989

    William and Harry were spotted sporting their school uniforms in fall 1989.

  20. William Harry April 1990

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    April 1990

    The brothers vacationed with their mom in the British Virgin Islands in the early 1990s.

  21. William Harry April 1991

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    April 1991

    William, Harry, and Diana went on a fun ski trip in Austria in spring 1991.

  22. William Harry October 1991

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    October 1991

    In fall 1991, the duo stepped out wearing matching denim outfits.

  24. William Harry October 1991

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    October 1991

    William, Harry, and their mother visited Niagara Falls in 1991.

  25. William Harry April 1993

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    April 1993

    The trio visited the Thorpe Park amusement part in spring 1993.

  26. William Harry March 1994

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    March 1994

    Diana and her boys bundled up in Austria in spring 1994.

  28. William Harry August 1994

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    August 1995

    Charles, Diana, William, and Harry at a V.J. Day commemorations event in summer 1995.

  29. William Harry September 1996

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    September 1996

    William and Harry looked handsome in matching suits in fall 1996.

  30. William Harry August 1997

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    August 1997

    William, Harry, and Charles visiting Balmoral Castle in summer '97.

  32. William Harry March 1998

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    March 1998

    Charles and his two sons were spotted skiing in Canada in 1998.

  33. William Harry December 1998

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    December 1998

    The boys attending Christmas church in Sandringham in 1998.

  34. William Harry June 1999

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    June 1999

    In summer 1999, William and Harry looked dapper at a royal family wedding.

  36. William Harry July 1999

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    July 1999

    The brothers again wore matching blue outfits in summer '99.

  37. William Harry April 2000

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    April 2000

    Charles posed with his boys in April 2000 during a ski trip in Switzerland.

  38. William Harry July 2001

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    July 2001

    In summer 2001, William and Harry attended a UK polo match.

  39. Prince Harry Prince William

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    The End!

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