The Duke of Sussex has said he had to step back from royal duties to protect himself and his family from the “toxic” situation created by the UK press.
Prince Harry told TV chat show host James Corden it was “destroying my mental health” and he “did what any husband [or] father would do”.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that the prince and his wife Meghan would not resume royal duties.
The duke insisted they were “stepping back rather than stepping down”.
The couple, who are expecting their second child, moved to California with their one-year-old son Archie after announcing their plan to step back as senior working royals last January.
They said at the time that they wanted to work to become financially independent.
Last week, Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess would not return to royal duties, following a planned review of the arrangements.
As a result, they will have to return their honorary military appointments and royal patronages.
In a segment for Corden’s US TV programme The Late Late Show, the duke joined the British presenter on a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles.
Asked by Corden about the couple’s decision to walk away from royal duties, Prince Harry insisted it “was never walking away, it was stepping back rather than stepping down”.
“It was a really difficult environment as a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like. And it was destroying my mental health. I was like, this is toxic.”
He said he “did what any husband [or] father would do”, and moved his family away, but insisted: “I will never walk away, I will always be contributing. My life is public service.”
Asked by Corden how he sees his future after lockdown restrictions are lifted, the duke said: “My life is always going to be about public service and Meghan signed up to that.”
The interview was recorded before it was confirmed Harry and Meghan would not resume royal duties.