Britain's Prince Harry has said the memory of his mother Diana's death more than two decades ago was still incredibly raw and he would not be bullied into "playing the game" with the media that he believes killed her.
Princess Diana, who became one of the most photographed women on the planet after she married into the British royal family, died in a car crash in 1997 after being followed through the streets of Paris by photographers, reported Reuters.
Earlier this month Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, began legal action against a newspaper in response to what the couple described as "bullying" by some sections of the British media. At the time, Harry said the treatment of Markle was reminiscent of their approach to his mother.
Harry told ITV in an interview that was filmed during a tour of Africa earlier this month and aired on Sunday: "Everything that she went through and what happened to her is incredibly raw every single day and that is not being me being paranoid. That is just me not wanting a repeat of the past. I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum."
"Part of this job, and part of any job, like everybody, is putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff, but again, for me and again for my wife, of course there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue," he said.
Harry is also suing the publishers of Rupert Murdoch's Sun newspaper and the Daily Mirror over allegations of phone-hacking. Markle's proceedings against the Mail on Sunday newspaper are over the publication of a private letter that her lawyers said was "unlawful" and part of a "campaign by this media group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her."
Describing what happened to his mother as "a wound that festers," Harry said: "Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back."
Asked about newspaper reports of a rift with his older brother, William, Harry said: "inevitably stuff happens as part of the role and the pressure the family is under. We will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me. As brothers you have good days you have bad days."
During the interview, Harry revealed he might leave the UK and that he might consider living in Africa one day.
For her part, in the same documentary, the Duchess opened up about the pressure she and her husband Prince Harry are going through because of the growing media attention.
In the ITV documentary, Megan talked about the intolerable pressure she feels for always being under the spotlight, saying she had "no idea" of how much pressure she would face when she became a member of the royal family.
Meghan, 38, told ITV journalist Tom Bradby that her friends warned her from the media in case she marries Harry because it may "ruin her life."
Megan and Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, were married in May 2018, and had their first child Archie in May 2019.
The Daily Mail quoted Markle saying: "When I first met Harry, my friends were so excited, my US friends were happy because I was happy. But my British friends, they were sure he was lovely, but they said I shouldn't do it because 'the British tabloids will destroy your life'."
Megan said she needs to "thrive" and "feel happy," noting that unwanted media scrutiny is not "the purpose of life."
Megan said she "really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip," but she believes that keeping emotions can harm people. When asked what is the impact of increased media attention on mental and physical health, she answered: "Any woman, especially when she is pregnant, is very vulnerable."
"Thank you for asking me about my health, because many don't ask if I am okay or not," she said.
"Is it fair that the answer is: I'm not really well?" Tom asked. Megan looked confused and then replied: "Yes."
