Prince Harry’s life has changed dramatically since 2016, when he found love, married, started a family and turned his life and work upside down, according to a former aide. The Duke of Sussex is now transitioning from a life within the walls of the palace serving full time the Crown and royal patronages to the American stage.
And his time to return to his old lifestyle is quickly running out, according to Patrick Jephson, who worked for Princess Diana between 1988 to 1996.
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.”
Prince Harry, who turns 36 today, married Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in May 2018.
The pair, who were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex that day, worked as full-time working members of the Royal Family for 22 months.
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But, after having announced in January their intention to step back as senior royals to live a more private life and be able to pursue financial ventures, the couple officially stood down from their roles in March this year.
Meghan and Harry are now free to pursue interests they could not have worked on as senior royals, such as voting rights in the US, and can work on profitable projects.
Earlier this month, the pair announced they had become financially independent from the Sovereign Grant and Prince Charles also thanks to a multi-year deal with Netflix.
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This deal could be worth as much as £122million, according to experts, and will see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex producing content, ranging from documentaries, docu-series and children’s programming, exclusively for the streaming platform.
Meghan and Harry have also repaid in full the cost of renovating Frogmore Cottage, the home in Windsor they lived in between the spring and November 2019.
While Mr Jephson believes the couple are running out of time to rethink their exit and return as full-time working royals, insiders claimed the Queen has signalled the door is remaining open for them.
Meghan and Harry were invited to Balmoral Castle this summer much like other members of the family, the Daily Telegraph wrote.
However, restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic have prevented the couple from flying across the pond.
Royal expert Hugo Vickers said: “The Queen is keen to keep the door open to him.”
In March, the Queen and Prince Harry also had an intimate conversation focused on the Duke’s future.
Speaking to her grandson, the monarch reportedly told him he is “much loved and will always be welcomed back”.
A source told : “It’s fair to say she is very upset about him and Meghan leaving and she would love to see more of Archie, as would Prince Charles and the rest of the family.
“She made it very clear to him that he and Meghan are always able to come back if they change their minds and she will welcome them with open arms.
“Hopefully the chat cleared the air and the way forward is looking more positive.”
After Meghan and Harry officially stepped down as senior royals in late March, a 12-month transition period was put in place to allow the Sussexes to rediscuss their term of the deal or even return to the palace.
