LONDON: Prince Harry has broken his silence on royal split during a dinner at The Ivy Chelsea Garden, where he came for a private fundraiser in aid of his charity Sentebale, saying he is "taking a leap of faith" in stepping back from his life as a member of the royal family.
The prince said it saddened him that he had to leave his royal duties.
In his first speech since the Queen released a statement about the details of the agreement reached for her grandson and wife Meghan, the Duke of Sussex said: "Before I begin, I must say I can only imagine what you may have heard and perhaps read over the past few weeks.
"It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service,"said the prince.
He added: "I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months."
"So I want you to hear the truth from me as much as I can share, not as a prince or a duke but as Harry, the same person who many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years but now with a clearer perspective.
"The UK is my home and a place that I love, that will never change. I have grown up feeling supported by so many of you and I watched as you welcomed Meghan with open arms as you saw me find the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life.
"Finally, the second son of Diana got hitched. Hurray."
The price further said: "I also know that you've come to know me well enough over these years to trust that the woman I chose as my wife upholds the same values as I do, and she does, and she's the same woman I fell in love with.
"We both do everything we can to fly the flag and carry out our roles for this country with pride."
Queen's statement
As part of the agreement, the couple will be required to step back from their royal duties, including military appointments, and no longer represent the Queen, the statement from Buckingham Palace said.
Harry and Meghan will no longer receive funds for royal duties, it said. The arrangement will go into effect this spring.
"Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family," Queen Elizabeth II said.