In a twist that surprises few, it seems that severing family ties—both publicly and privately—doesn’t necessarily pave the way to happiness.
This appears to be the lesson the Duke of Sussex is learning, according to a report by the U.K. Daily Mail. Prince Harry, who has recently lost yet another key staff member (bringing the total to nearly 20 since his 2018 marriage to Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex), is reportedly unhappy with life in California. Despite opportunities to publicly criticize his family through an Oprah interview, a tell-all book, and various media appearances, satisfaction seems elusive.
A source, described by the Daily Mail as “one of Harry’s oldest pals,” claims that the Duke is concealing deep-seated anger and frustration, secretly wishing he were back in Britain with his friends and family.
That makes him one of the few, I suspect.
“He’s a very angry guy. Things haven’t gone the way he hoped,” the friend said, adding that he occasionally receives WhatsApp messages from Harry.
The friend also noted, “I think he misses being here [in Britain] terribly and craves admiration. Anyone who knows him believes he’d rather be loved like William and Kate, with the public embracing him.”
Another source, who’s known Harry since his teenage years, shared that “the Duke undoubtedly longs for his former life of pub outings and enjoying the English countryside with friends.”
“He’s ended up isolated from his family and most of his old friends, in a place where friendships aren’t the same as the ones he built in his youth,” the source continued.
“He used to love a night out at the pub and spending time in the country with pals.”
While I hesitate to fully trust the modern-day Evelyn Waugh-esque characters supplying royal scoops to the Daily Mail, the core message seems accurate.
Since leaving England for sunny California to carve out a new life as a “working royal” (though his version of “work” might not align with most people’s), it’s become clear that Harry embodies the pitfalls of modern therapy culture.
He’s quick to share his grievances with any famous talk show host, podcaster, ghostwriter, or even a limo driver willing to listen. His narrative revolves around being deeply wounded by his family and those around him—his mother’s tragic death, his father’s coldness, his brother’s pettiness, his family’s old-fashioned ways and alleged racism, and the relentless press.
Harry has been handed virtually everything with little in return, all while abandoning the core values the British royals stand for—namely, responsibility and service to the nation—without giving up his title.
Despite being paid extravagant sums for what appears, to an outsider, to require minimal effort, he seems utterly miserable. Meanwhile, his relationship with the rest of the Windsors who remain in Britain is far from repaired.
The Sussexes recently returned from Colombia—a country known for its violence—right after branding Britain as “too dangerous,” a move that a royal commentator told the Daily Mail was “disastrous optics.”
“This is absurd. The fact that Harry is battling the Home Office over security levels—which he might win—doesn’t change the fact that he reportedly chose a hotel over Buckingham Palace during his last visit to Britain. It just doesn’t add up,” said Richard Fitzwilliams.
Indeed, much about Harry and Meghan’s lives doesn’t make sense, especially in Harry’s case. Despite his evident longing for the U.K., he’s managed to burn almost every bridge there during his four years in California. And things aren’t exactly thriving on the West Coast either.
As the philosopher Sheryl Crow famously sang, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad. If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so sad?” While Crow’s words were likely rhetorical, every time I see the Duke of Sussex, I see a man who seems ill-equipped to find an answer to that question. Let’s hope his titles and wealth somehow make up for it.