Princess Akshita says she gets why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal life, but she'd never do the same
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Maria Noyen
Feb 1, 2022, 00:12 IST
Akshita said she shares sympathy for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to put their family first.Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage, Courtesy of Princess Akshita,
Princess Akshita of Mayurbhanj said she gets why Prince Harry needed to step back from royal life.
Akshita said royals often deal with imposter syndrome and pretending to be something they're not.
The daughter of the 47th ruler of the 1,000-year-old Bhanja dynasty and great-granddaughter of the late King Tribhuvan of Nepal, Akshita helps her sister Princess Mrinalika run Belgadia Palace in their home state of Odisha, India, works for an Artificial Intelligence non-profit, and raises awareness about conservation.
But for her, being born into a royal family generations after they lost official titles, when India gained independence in 1947, is a blessing.
"I hit jackpot choosing this family to be born in," Akshita said. "I never felt I had to be someone different or someone else to portray a certain image."
She was also able to study at New York City's Bard College and returned in 2016 with ideas of how to improve her community while carrying on the family legacy, she said.
"When my parents sent me abroad for education, they wanted me to understand the traditions and come back to be a leader in these communities, but also understand times have changed," Akshita said. Her upbringing and family history instilled in her a sense of gratitude for the life she lives so she could "never forget the position" she has.
Leaving royal life can be 'much easier' than staying, Akshita says
In India, "there are very few families who still live in their palaces or in their home countries because it's much easier to leave," Akshita said. "It's harder to stay back and be like 'Who am I,' when you don't have the crown and the money and the palaces and the retinue of staff."
"For them, it got harder and harder," Akshita said, especially for Harry, who she said essentially lived in a "golden cage" by growing up royal.
"I can imagine how suffocating it could be to live that life continuously, and have people hold you to a standard, which is impossible," Akshita added. "When you're royalty, your moral compass has to be very strong."
There is something very human, she said, of people like Markle and Harry who opt to leave the pageantry of royal life behind.
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"When you take away all of this, you realize these are individuals who are trying to do the best they can for their family," Akshita said.
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