Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor are likely celebrating Harry’s birthday together in Santa Barbara. The Sussex family stepped back from their senior roles within the Royal Family in March and since that time the family have been living in the USA.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their shocking plan to leave royal life on social media.
In an Instagram post, the couple said they wanted to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution” as well as working to “become financially independent”.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from all Royal duties, meaning they no longer receive public funds for royal work, no longer work on behalf of the Queen and relinquish their HRH titles.
The Duke of Sussex spoke of his “sadness” about stepping back earlier this year.
In a speech at a talk for JPMorgan in Miami, Prince Harry shared his struggles about leaving royal life.
A source told the New York Post: “Harry also touched on Megxit, saying while it has been very difficult on him and Meghan, he does not regret their decision to step down as senior royals because he wants to protect his family.
“He does not want Meghan and their son Archie to go through what he did as a child.”
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The royal exit is said to be an upsetting decision for many members of the Royal Family even months later.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward said Princess Diana, however, would have likely supported the move.
Ms Seward told Vanity Fair: “Diana often spoke about wanting to move to America; Harry’s actually done it.
“I’m still surprised, though, that Harry has left Britain.
“I know he has always hated the media and quite often hated being a prince, but I never thought he would leave his homeland.”
She added that despite Harry’s love for many British pastimes, he has always sought independence.
Ms Seward added: “He’s always been such a lover of British life, polo, the countryside, the shooting, Scotland.
“That said, with Harry, it’s all or nothing, and it always has been. He doesn’t do anything by halves. He’s always done things differently.
“As a boy, people at the palace would say, ‘Harry’s Harry, he does his own thing,’ and he always has.”
As well as moving to the USA, Prince Harry has managed to keep a promise he made on his 18th birthday.
In 2002, Prince Harry vowed “to carry on the things that she didn’t quite finish” in relation to Diana’s charity work.
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Body language expert and energy reader Alison Ward has also spoken about Prince Harry’s independence and the similarity between Diana and Harry.
She said: “Harry has been criticised for leaving the Royal family and the UK, but clearly, this speech shows the amazing similarity between him and Diana, our Queen Of Hearts.
“He simply can’t be in a place or establishment that doesn’t allow him to be free, with an opinion and a task at hand; that of highlighting racism and other areas of ignorance and hate.
“His mother would be proud, like Harry she was not able to fit into an establishment that didn’t speak of these things, a place where she was told what to say.”
Princess Diana’s former private secretary Patrick Jephson said as a 36-year-old man and an ex-pat, Harry now finds himself being viewed very differently.
He told Vanity Fair: “Having reached the same age at which his mother died, Harry has arrived at a point of no return.
“A life on the American public stage is now his destiny unless he decisively turns away from it.
“The time to do so is fast running out. We must hope – as Princess Diana surely would – that he has weighed his options wisely.”
The Duke of Sussex delivered an emotional speech about his mother for what would have been her 59th birthday.
Speaking on a video call, Harry said: “I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you and I can assure you she would have been fighting your corner.
“Like many of you, she never took the easy route, she never took the popular one or the comfortable one.
“But she stood for something. And she stood up for people who needed it.”
