The Royal Family Is Reportedly "Distressed" Over Prince Harry Comparing Royal Life to a Zoo
Fans may be fascinated by Prince Harry's newfound freedom as he opens up about life as a royal, but sources have told Entertainment Tonight that his family might not be too pleased.
A source told ET that "the family is distressed and angry" over Prince Harry's recent interview on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, during which he described royal life as "a mix between The Truman Show," the 1998 film about a man who discovers that his life is a reality show, "and being in a zoo."
Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, thinks that particular comment drew the attention of Prince Charles and Prince William.
"I think the problem with the podcast and the things Harry has said -- particularly about the institution, feeling like he was in The Truman Show, feeling like he was in a zoo — it has echoes of what he said on Oprah, that he, and his brother, and his father feel trapped by the institution," Nicholl told ET. "It may be how Harry feels, but I don't think it's how William and Charles feel."
During the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah in March, the duke said of the royal institution, "I was trapped but didn't know I was trapped. Trapped within the system. My father and my brother, they are trapped."
During his Armchair Expert interview, Prince Harry discussed wanting to "break" the cycle of "genetic pain and suffering" with his and Meghan Markle's children, two-year-old Archie, and a daughter on the way.
"There's no blame. I don't think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody. But certainly when it comes to parenting, if I've experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I'm going to make sure that I break that cycle so that I don't pass it on," he said. "There's a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway. We as parents should be doing the most we can to try and say, 'You know what? That happened to me. I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen to you.'"
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Nicholl said this was "another example of Prince Harry criticizing the royal family, in particular his father, who of course came under some fire in that Oprah interview," though she appears to be speaking from a place of opinion and hypothetical, not of direct knowledge from the family.
"I think there is that sense again that he feels he's been let down by his father in this interview," she said. "That's going to be incredibly hurtful for the Prince of Wales."
Prince Harry reunited with his family at his grandfather Prince Philip's funeral in April, and plans are in place for Harry and William to unveil a statue dedicated to their mother, Princess Diana, later this summer.
