'I don't want this role ... it killed my mum': Prince Harry's heartbreaking admission at Melbourne summit

Prince Harry has reflected on the lasting impacts of grief on his life during a summit in Melbourne, saying it "does not disappear because we ignore it".

Delivering the keynote speech at the InterEdge Summit this afternoon, the Duke of Sussex reflected on how the death of his mother Princess Diana when he was 12 had shaped him.

"In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age," the royal said.

Watch the video above.

"Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you."

Speaking with former politician Brendan Nelson after his address, Harry added he "didn't want" his royal job following Diana's death.

"After my mum died just before my 13th birthday, I was like ... 'I don't want this role, wherever this is headed, I don't like it'. It killed my mum and I was very much against it," he said, per Press Association.

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"I stuck my head in the sand for years and years."

Harry said things changed when he considered how someone else in his position would make the most of the ability to "make a difference in the world".

"And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective."

The two-day summit is focused on "leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace", and it's understood Harry wasn't paid for his keynote address, even though it was a paid ticketed event.

The duke told the audience, which included wife Meghan, he had felt "lost, betrayed, or completely powerless" at times in his life.

"When I was invited to speak at this summit, I wasn't sure whether I was expected to speak as someone who, despite everything, has their s--t together," he admitted.

"Or as someone who, despite what it may look like, actually doesn't have his s--t together.

"But I was struck by something quite simple – that while my experiences may be unusual, the feelings that come with them are not."

"There have been many times when I've felt overwhelmed, times when I've felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless," the royal continued.

"Times when the pressure, externally and internally, felt constant and times when, despite everything going on, I still had to show up pretending everything was OK, so as not to let anyone down.

"For many years I was numb to it, and perhaps that was easier then, but I also didn't yet have the tools to deal with it."

The InterEdge Summit's website states the "transformative" event features "global thought leaders" and "goes beyond awareness to give leaders the tools, insights and inspiration to build a culture where people thrive".

A profile of Harry on the summit's website said he has "dedicated his life to service and uplifting communities, while emphasising the importance of our collective mental health in his philanthropic and advocacy work globally".