By India McTaggart, Georgina Wray and Josh Bourne
London: On September 15, the Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, turns 40. His future looks very different from how we might have expected at his last milestone birthday, 10 years ago.
Then, the popular 30-year-old prince was fourth in line to the British throne and looked set for a life of royal duty.
But sources close to Harry said he now has no interest in returning to those duties and is focused solely on his future in the US, four years after cutting loose from the British monarchy.
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, in August.Credit: AP
The sources rebutted recent reports that Harry wanted to spend more time in his former home – and perhaps even return to a back-seat role in the “firm” he and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were so keen to leave behind in 2020.
Instead – with his tell-all memoir Spare, bombshell media interviews and Netflix documentary series out of the way – can Harry finally devote himself fully to the causes we know are so important to him and the legacy he intends to leave?
At 40 years old, he seems to stand somewhat at a crossroads. Having established that he wants to stay in America and put down roots for his young family, what will his next 10 years look like?
After the couple made a quasi-royal tour of Colombia – the third foreign tour they have undertaken this year – former advisers spoke to the press about their hope that Harry could finally get on with the things that bring him joy and fulfilment.
Rift with father and brother
In terms of family relations, he has almost fully lost personal contact with his father, King Charles, and brother, William, the Prince of Wales.
But, recently, he has made no secret of his wish to reconcile with the King, despite conflicting narratives emerging from their respective camps about who is rebuffing whom.
Prince Harry and Meghan speak onstage at EAN University during a visit to Colombia on August.Credit: Getty Images
Harry dropped everything and rushed to his father’s side when he learnt of his cancer – and since then, he has made an unannounced visit to the UK to attend the funeral of his uncle, Lord Fellowes.
The trips show the prince is keen to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his family. The funeral was the first time he and William had been in the same room together this year – but even then, the pair didn’t speak, it was reported.
However, it is clear that Harry is still supported by the Spencers – his mother’s relatives – at a time when he is rarely seen with his father’s side of the family.
King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry in 2020.Credit: Getty Images
Family life in California
In Montecito, California, he hosts new friends at his and Meghan’s nine-bedroom home and is seen occasionally going out for dinner at the local steakhouse or upmarket Italian restaurant.
Harry has achieved part of what he set out to do at 30: finding someone with whom to settle down and build a life. He is now half of one of the most famous marriages in the world.
He has become a doting father of two: Prince Archie is five and at school, while the three-year-old Princess Lilibet has “found her voice”, according to Meghan.
The family’s domestic life is marked by idyllic days on the beach, walking the dogs, kite-flying on the lawn, bike rides and school runs in the Californian sunshine.
Birthday party
A 40th birthday party, on some scale, will happen in California, with his wife and children at the centre of it.
As for whether he is happy and settled, his transition to that stratospheric celebrity status in the US has seen him firefighting constant gossip, while also fuelling that gossip with his own accusations and revelations.
Those close to him maintain that, despite the ongoing rifts with family back in Britain, Harry is incredibly happy and is determined to look forward, not back.
We are told that, as he enters his fifth decade, Harry is as committed as ever to the Sussexes’ mission: show up, do good.
He no longer wants to dwell on past grievances – so, at 40, can he focus on the future he wants?
The Telegraph, London