Prince Harry says growing up as a royal was like being in a zoo

Prince Harry has said he was caught in a cycle of “pain and suffering” in the British royal family and hinted that he is heavily critical of the way his father, Prince Charles, raised him, in a lengthy and personal new interview.

The Duke of Sussex was talking to actor Dax Shepard, host of the “Armchair Expert” podcast, in an episode released Thursday.

Discussing his upbringing as a royal, he said: “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 I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on.”

“It’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway so 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’,” he added.

And Harry said that as he grew older, he realized that Charles raised him in the way that he had previously been raised.

“I never saw it, I never knew about it, and then suddenly I started to piece it together and go ‘OK, so this is where he went to school, this is what happened, I know this about his life, I also know that is connected to his parents so that means he’s treated me the way he was treated, so how can I change that for my own kids?,” Harry said.

The Prince previously said that Charles stopped taking his calls after he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex quit as working members of the family.

During the new interview, he was referenced an infamous trip he took to Las Vegas during which a nude photo of him was leaked to British press. “At least I wasn’t running down the Strip,” he joked.

Prince Harry is teaming up with Oprah to produce a TV series on mental health.

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Harry also described “going wild” in his early twenties and partying, and outlined his inner monologue as he struggled with the responsibilities of being a member of the royal family.

“I don’t want this job, I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be doing this, look what it did to my mum,” Harry recalled thinking.

He also talked about the media in the UK. “It’s a mix between ‘the Truman Show’ and being in a zoo,” he said, referencing the 1998 Jim Carrey film in which the main character has no idea he is living on a giant TV set where his every move is recorded.

The Prince also discussed the extent to which he and Meghan tried to keep their burgeoning relationship under wraps, how it felt to grow up in the media spotlight and his new life in the US.

Harry recalled how the attention affected the early stages of his relationship with Meghan.

“The first time that Meghan and I met up for her to come and stay with me we met up in a supermarket in London pretending as though we didn’t know each other,” he said, recounting how he wore a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes to avoid being recognized.

While criticizing the behavior of some media outlets in the US, Harry did say the situation has improved for him and his family since they moved to California.

It was announced in February that Harry and Meghan would not be returning as working members of the royal family, after stepping back from royal duties last year.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House on January 07, 2020 in London, England.

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“Living here now I can actually lift my head and actually I feel different… you can walk around feeling a little bit more free,” he said.

“I get to take Archie on the back of my bicycle… I would never have had the chance to do that.”

During the podcast, Harry went on to discuss changing attitudes towards mental health in society.

“Speaking out, especially now in today’s world, is a sign of strength rather than a sign of weakness,” he said, before making a case that mental health is in fact public health.

“Two of the biggest issues that we’re facing in today’s world, I think, is the climate crisis and mental health, and they’re both intrinsically linked,” he said.

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Endeavour Fund Awards in London in March 2020.

Harry and Meghan embrace at a polo match in May 2017. They were introduced by mutual friends in 2016.

Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017.

Meghan flashed her engagement ring to reporters during a November 2017 photo call. The ring, designed by Harry, featured a large diamond from Botswana and two smaller outer diamonds from the personal collection of Harry's late mother.

This engagement photo was released by Kensington Palace.

The couple meets well-wishers during an appearance in London in January 2018.

Harry and Meghan join Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, during a Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018.

The couple watches Coach Core apprentices take part in a training exercise in Birmingham, England, in March 2018. The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme was designed by the Royal Foundation to train young people to become sports coaches and mentors within their communities.

Markle walks down the aisle of St. George's Chapel during her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. She was unescorted in what was an unprecedented step for a royal bride in the United Kingdom. Her father was unable to attend the wedding because of health concerns.

Just after getting married, the newlyweds wave during their carriage procession in Windsor, England. Zoom in for a closer look.

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Meghan and Harry attend the Royal Ascot horse races in June 2018.

Members of the royal family watch a flyover during a July 2018 event marking the centenary of the Royal Air Force. From left are Prince Charles; Prince Andrew; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Queen Elizabeth II; Meghan; Harry; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Meghan and Harry pose with the cast and crew of the musical "Hamilton" after a performance in London in August 2018. Harry gave those in the theater something to remember after breaking into mock-song at the end of the show. The show was held to raise money for his HIV charity, Sentebale.

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Meghan and Harry cheer on sailors during the Invictus Games in Australia in October 2018.

Meghan and Harry attend a Christmas Day church service in December 2018. With them, from left, are Prince Charles; Prince William; and William's wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Harry and William are the two sons of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.

Meghan and Harry walk past tapestries during a visit to Rabat, Morocco, in February 2019.

Queen Elizabeth II looks at her new great-grandchild, Archie, in May 2019. Prince Philip is on the far left. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is next to her at right.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone presents the couple with a jersey for Archie before a Major League Baseball game in London in June 2019.

Harry and Meghan greet singer Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as they attend the European premiere of the film "The Lion King" in July 2019.

Meghan holds Archie during their royal tour of South Africa in September 2019.

Harry and Meghan dance during the South African tour.

Harry and Meghan shared this image in February 2021 to accompany the announcement that they were expecting their second child. Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4, 2021.

Meghan celebrates her son's first birthday with a reading of the children's book "Duck! Rabbit!" in May 2020. In a video posted online -- and filmed by her husband -- Meghan read to Archie from the popular book and encouraged fans to donate to a number of causes aimed at helping young people.

The couple attends the annual Festival of Remembrance in November 2019.

Meghan and Harry visit a community center in Windsor, England, in November 2019.

Meghan and Harry visit the Canada House in London in January 2020. The couple announced the next day that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family.

Harry and Meghan attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at London's Westminster Abbey in March 2020. This marked the couple's final engagement as senior members of the royal family.

Harry and Meghan give an interview to Oprah Winfrey that aired in the United States in March 2021. It was their first sit-down appearance since leaving Britain. Meghan described herself as the victim of an image-obsessed Buckingham Palace, which weighed in on everything from how dark her son Archie's skin color would be to how often she went to lunch with friends.

Harry and Meghan depart St Paul's Cathedral in London after attending a service honoring Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022. They flew in from the United States to attend the Queen's jubilee celebrations, and they were warmly welcomed by a crowd outside the service.

Harry and Meghan are joined by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, as they greet crowds outside Windsor Castle and view floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. The appearance was a surprise, not announced in advance. Screams erupted from royal fans as the four emerged, with many hoping the Queen's death would pave the way for a reconciliation between the brothers, whose tension is well-known.

Harry and Meghan are behind King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, during the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II.

Meghan and Harry laugh while on stage at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala, which was held in New York in December 2022.

Netflix released a documentary series, "Harry & Meghan," in December 2022. In the series, the couple defended their decision to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family.

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“If we neglect our collective well-being, then we’re screwed, basically, because if we can’t look after ourselves, we can’t look after each other. If we can’t look after each other then we can’t look after this home that we all inhabit, so it’s all part of the same thing.”

Harry has been working on a multi-part documentary series called “The Me You Can’t See” with Oprah Winfrey, which aims to help lift the veil on the current state of mental health and emotional well-being.

The series, which will feature high-profile guests, will premiere May 21 on Apple TV+.