Prince Harry made some jaw-dropping revelations when he was featured on a recent episode of Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert. In addition to telling the world that he had been wanting to leave the royal family since he was in his twenties and comparing the lifestyle to being in a zoo, the 36-year-old royal also shared some surprising opinions.
According to the Duke of Sussex, the First Amendment is “bonkers.”
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"I’ve got so much I want to say about the First Amendment as I sort of understand it, but it is bonkers," Prince Harry said.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects basic freedoms including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and the right to assemble in public. As it is written in the original document, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
“I don’t want to start going down the First Amendment route because that’s a huge subject and one which I don’t understand because I’ve only been here a short time," Prince Harry continued. "But, you can find a loophole in anything. You can capitalize or exploit what’s not said rather than uphold what is said. I believe we live in an age now where you've got certain elements of the media redefining to us what privacy means. There's a massive conflict of interest.”
Prince Harry's qualm with the First Amendment is likely tied to the freedom of press aspect, as the royal has also spoken out about ways in which the press and paparazzi infringe on his privacy.
In the podcast, Prince Harry also discussed concerns he feels with his family's safety while being in the public eye. He addressed the ways in which public scrutiny affected his mother, Princess Diana, ultimately leading to her tragic death in 1997.
“It’s the job right? Grin and bear it. Get on with it. I was in my early 20s and I was thinking I don’t want this job, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be doing this,” Prince Harry told Shepard. “Look what it did to my mum. How am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and family, when I know it’s going to happen again?”
Despite the reasons behind Harry's concerns with the First Amendment, many critics were not too happy with the idea of the British royal commenting on the U.S. Constitution.
“We fought a war in 1776 so we don’t have to care what you say or think," journalist Meghan McCain tweeted. "That being said, you have chosen to seek refuge from your homeland here and thrive because all of what our country has to offer and one of the biggest things is the 1st amendment—show some utter respect.”
Even British politicians weren't happy with Harry's comment.
Nigel Farage, activist and Brexit leader commented, “For Prince Harry to condemn the USA's First Amendment shows he has lost the plot. Soon he will not be wanted on either side of the pond.”
