Prince Harry is still adjusting to a new normal years after exiting from the royal family with wife Meghan Markle.
“I’m not sure if Harry has regrets about leaving as he is determined to build a new life in the U.S.,” royal historian Marlene Koenig exclusively shares in the latest Us Weekly cover story. “But he hasn’t been entirely successful, especially in terms of earning money for the family. That seems to have fallen on Meghan.”
Koenig notes that it has been a “struggle” for Harry, 40, to find his place using his title while simultaneously “trying to be a breadwinner” for his family with Markle, 43. Since stepping back from his duties in 2020, Harry has tried his hand in several areas: 2023’s Spare, 2024’s Netflix series Harry & Meghan and his role with tech startup BetterUp. (Harry and Meghan tied the knot in 2018 and have since welcomed son Archie and daughter Lilibet in 2019 and 2021, respectively.)
“He was always expected to play a supportive but not a supporting role,” Koenig shares. “He may be comfortable in his California home with his wife and two adorable children, but what he hasn’t found yet is the comfort of a success outside at home.”
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Meghan, meanwhile, seems “focused” on her own “ventures and identity outside the royal bubble,” royal commentator Amanda Matta says. The Suits alum has launched her lifestyle brand As Ever while Netflix has renewed season 2 of her show With Love, Meghan. (Her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder” is on an indefinite hiatus.)
While Harry “doesn’t appear to regret” leaving his royal duties, there does appear to be “frustration” about what he lost in the process — namely, his military honors — and the way his relationships with family members have “deteriorated,” Matta says.
“Any exile is bound to have regrets, not seeing his friends and, as he has admitted, the breach with his family,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams echoes. “Obviously his life now couldn’t be more different than his existence as a royal.”
Harry and brother Prince William have been at odds for years, and the distance between them appears to be growing. Koenig notes that the two siblings are “separated by more than an ocean” as William, 43, prepares for his future role as King.
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“One brother has found his role and knows what he has to do to prepare for his future,” Koenig says, “the other brother has yet to find the right balance for a successful career away from what he was raised to be.”
For more on Harry, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly – on newsstands now.
