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The interview, when it came, was unexpected.
At the end of a whirlwind visit to the UK, Prince Harry did something no one saw coming. He headed off on a secret trip accompanied by a reporter from a major UK newspaper.
The destination? Kyiv in Ukraine. On a visit to promote his Invictus Games Foundation.
And it was there that Harry sat down with the Guardian for a good old chat about work and family.
It was a surprising end to a surprising week for the Duke, and came hot on the heels of a reunion with his father, King Charles.
In fact, so fresh was the pair’s 54-minute tête-à-tête at Clarence House, that Harry appeared reluctant to say too much about it.
He did however say that over the year ahead, “the focus really has to be on my dad” – a hint perhaps that ground was made during his one-on-one with the King just days earlier.
It’s perhaps to be expected that Harry remained tight-lipped on his reunion, with Woman’s Day’s Royal columnist Phil Dampier exclusively revealing both “agreed to keep the contents of their chat at Clarence House a secret”.
“I’m told that the King wasn’t sure if he wanted to meet Harry until the last minute,” Phil tells us.
“He was in London for his ongoing cancer treatment and to carry out some royal duties, and only found time to see Harry when he felt emotionally capable of dealing with him.”
Indeed, Harry’s interview with the Guardian wasn’t quite what we’ve come to expect from the self-described “Spare”.
Yes, the Duke of Sussex remained steadfast about his decision to speak out about his family in his tell-all book and Netflix show.
“My conscience is clear,” he proclaimed to the publication.
“I know that [speaking out] annoys some people and it goes against the narrative. The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out and it needed to be corrected.
“I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public,” he added. “It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible.”
However, at the same time, the Duke’s chat with a mainstream media outlet appeared to herald a new beginning.
Was this a different version of Harry?
Perhaps – dare we say it – a Harry who can see a way back into the royal fold somehow?
“I have always loved the UK and I always will love the UK,” the Duke declared good-naturedly to the Guardian.
“It’s been good to reconnect with the causes I am passionate about. I have been able to spend some time with people that I have known for so long. It is hard to do it from far away.”
“It is only in certain elements of the press where you see this talk about me being down or saying I am not smiling,” he continued.
“This comes from people who think they know what I am thinking and how I am feeling. They are wrong.
“I think parts of the British press want to believe that I am miserable, but I’m not. I am very happy with who I am and I like the life that I live.”
Certainly, Harry went as far as to say he’d like to bring his kids – Archie and Lilibet – to his birthplace one day, in spite of the well-documented concerns he has over security.
“Yes I would,” he told the Guardian. This week has definitely brought that closer.”
Quite whether his wife, Meghan Markle, would be as keen to embrace life in Britain again remains to be seen.
It’s clear the former Suits actress has had a profound impact on the Duke and his attitude to life.
“She said ‘just stick to the truth’. It is the thing I always fall back on. Always,” Harry divulged to the Guardian.
“And if you think like that, who would be stupid enough to lie? It takes up too much time and effort.”
