Prince Harry took a question head-on about his relationship with his wife, Meghan Markle, at The New York Times‘ 2024 DealBook Summit, when asked how he handles speculation surrounding their relationship, including recent reports about their separate professional endeavors.

On Dec. 4, the Duke of Sussex, 40, hit the stage in New York City to join NYT columnist and Dealbook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin for a wide-ranging conversation about the mainstream media, misinformation and efforts to make the digital world a safer place.

Towards the end of the interview, Sorkin, 47, asked Prince Harry about how he grapples with the public fascination surrounding every aspect of his life — a scrutiny that not only highlights the positive causes he advocates for but also casts a harsh spotlight on his personal relationships.

“I Google Newsed you, and there were people fascinated by everything you’re doing, all the time. They’re fascinated by Meghan is in California right now, and you’re here,” Sorkin said, seemingly referencing the Duchess of Sussex’s planned solo outing at the Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills on Dec. 4. “And there’s articles left and right about, you know, ‘Why are you making, doing independent events? Why aren’t you doing them together?’ “

“Because you invited me, you should have known!” Prince Harry interjected, which made the audience laugh.

Sorkin then replied, “True. Is that normal for you? The second there’s an article — she’s in California, you’re in New York — they say, ‘Well, what is happening with these two, right?’ Is that a good thing for you, in a way, that there’s so much interest in you?”

The Duke of Sussex, who grew up in the royal spotlight as the son of the future King Charles and the late Princess Diana, emphasized that the attention was “definitely not a good thing.”

“No, that’s definitely not a good thing. Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?’ ” Prince Harry said with a laugh.

“It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls,” he continued. “Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”

Acknowledging the attention on him, Prince Harry added that he had “no doubt” his conversation with Sorkin “will be spun or twisted somehow against me, and maybe you yourself will be trolled relentlessly.”

“For that, I can only apologize, but you did invite me, so it’s not my fault,” Prince Harry joked, and the audience laughed.

The Duke of Sussex reflected on painful aspects of the past and his focus on the future at the 2024 DealBook Summit, from the Parents Network initiative from the charitable Archewell Foundation he helms with Meghan to his “main goal” — “being the best husband and dad that I can be.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are parents to son Prince Archie, 5 and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3, who they are raising in Montecito, California.

Of his life in the U.S., he said, “I very much enjoy living here and bringing up my kids here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought that I was gonna live.”

“I feel as though it’s the life that my mom wanted for me,” he continued. “To be able to do the things I’m able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the U.K. — it’s huge. I’m hugely grateful for that.”

During his sit-down, Harry opened up about his relationship with the press, telling Sorkin: “I’ve had a lived experience since I was a kid. I’ve seen stories written about myself that aren’t exactly based on reality. I’ve seen stories about members of my family, friends, strangers, all sorts of people.

“And I think when you grow up within that environment, you do find yourself questioning the validity of the information but also what other people are thinking of that as well, and how dangerous it can be over the course of time.”

When it comes to online safety for young people, he said he would like to work with shareholders of social media companies to discuss safeguarding for children.

“I would welcome the chance to sit down with the shareholders, because their shareholders are the ones that really are in control,” he said. “I’m sure they are parents, and I’m sure hopefully they would agree that kids need to be kept safe.”

Prince Harry followed in Meghan’s footsteps by sitting for an interview with Sorkin at the summit, as the Duchess of Sussex, 43, previously participated in The New York Times DealBook Online Summit in November 2021.

The couple are making separate engagements on opposite coasts on Dec. 4, with Prince Harry due to continue his trip to New York City at a launch for an art exhibit benefitting his charity, Sentebale. Meanwhile, Meghan is expected to attend the 2024 Paley Honors Fall Gala in Beverly Hills, where she’ll help celebrate Tyler Perry (who is Princess Lilibet’s godfather) with The Paley Honors Award, the highest honor from The Paley Center for Media’s highest honor.

“It’s clear that a twin-track approach is evolving,” a friend previously told PEOPLE about the clear shift in the couple’s public lives. Prince Harry is immersed in philanthropic efforts, and Meghan is honing entrepreneurial projects and commercial ventures.

“The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals – not just as a couple,” a royal insider echoed of the sentiment. “The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.”