Prince Harry Is Not Seeking a Royal Role Despite the Rumors

For some reason, the British tabloids have been running with the narrative that Prince Harry is dying to return to his former royal role. It may have something to do with his recent visits for the 10-anniversary celebration of the Invictus Games and Lord Robert Fellowes’ funeral, but his trips shouldn’t indicate that a senior royal role is what he’s seeking. 

The Telegraph confirmed on Sept. 2 that the Duke of Sussex had “no interest” in returning to his former life at the palace, but that didn’t stop the Daily Mail from claiming that he was plotting a return to the royal family. “If Harry comes back to the UK with zero fuss, and does zero publicity and attends very mundane events, he could prove himself and win over the British public again,” a source told the media outlet. “He would have to accept, though, that he might be reduced to ribbon cutting for a long period. But it would give him purpose to work again.”

That plan sounds pretty absurd considering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have dedicated their post-royal life to philanthropic service through their Archewell Foundation and the Invictus Games. One glance at their recent trips to Nigeria and Colombia demonstrated how invested they are in making their projects — not the royal family’s work — thrive. The Telegraph‘s sources noted that Harry is excited about his upcoming projects and has found an “amazing” set of friends who have warmly welcomed him and Meghan to the neighborhood. The Sussexes are “happy and settled in California” which seems to be the bottom line. 

The Duke of Sussex has also made other long-term moves to indicate that the U.S. is going to be his home base for quite some time. In April, he updated his country of residency to the U.S. on a corporate filing, per The New York Times. And in February, Harry notably told Good Morning America that filing for U.S. citizenship was a consideration. “It’s a thought that has crossed my mind but it’s not a high priority for me right now,” he shared.

If and when the time comes, Harry might make that call and become a U.S. citizen, but for now, he’s busy planting roots in his Montecito neighborhood. He isn’t looking back to his former days at the palace except for the hope that his feud with King Charles III will be a distant memory sooner versus later.

Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.