Prince Harry has said he 'always felt different' to the rest of his family, and that Princess Diana felt the same.
The Duke of Sussex opened up in an online conversation about grief and trauma, where he spoke of his fears of losing memories of his mother and his journey with therapy - including with marijuana.
Speaking to Dr Gabor Maté, an author on trauma and addiction, Harry said he 'felt a huge weight off my shoulders' after publishing his controversial memoir 'Spare', and insisted that he was not a "victim" or seeking sympathy.
READ MORE: I went to a women-only, sober rave and I think it might be time to give up booze for good
He said his own reaction to the book's publication was to feel 'incredibly free', and described it as an 'act of service' in helping others break the taboo around mental health issues.
The interview was based around themes of 'living with loss', and saw the Duke of Sussex reflect on his own journey throughh therapy and mental health treatments.
It did not touch upon recent royal revelations such as the recent request for Harry and wife Meghan to vacate their British base of Frogmore cottage, which is located within the grounds of Windsor Castle. King Charles' coronation was also not discussed.
Harry said he was making sure to 'smother' his own children with 'love and affection' after speaking on his own emotionally distant childhood, where such displays of affection were rare.
"As a father I feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any traumas or... negative experiences that I've had as a kid," he said.
He also spoke of fears that engaging in therapy would erase precious memories of his mother Princess Diana after her death when Harry was aged just 12.
"One of the things I was most scared about was losing the feeling that I had of my mum... whatever I had managed to hold onto of my mother," he said, but added that he realised she 'just wanted him to be happy'.
Speaking of his relationship with wife Meghan, Harry said he was 'eternally grateful' to her for helping him change his perspective, and called her an 'exceptional human being'. But he added that his relationship with Meghan had given him a 'crash course' in the 'shocking' reality of racism.
In the California fireside chat, Harry also told of how marijuana had helped him 'deal with the traumas and pains of the past', but said cocaine 'did nothing for him'.
The audience was made up of customers of Harry's recent memoir, which contained explosive claims around his relationship with his brother William.
READ NEXT:
'It used to be beautiful': The Curry Mile restaurateurs who say it's 'gone so downhill'
Torment of wife of missing dad as trolls and 'social media detectives fuel speculation'
Boy, 15, in a serious condition after stabbing outside McDonalds
The pretty village with no shops and one pub an hour from Greater Manchester
