COMMENT: Prince Harry’s self-imposed exile in America is starting to feel like an extended gap year that’s gone terribly wrong.

Prince Harry has become a divisive figure during his 40 years on this planet (Image: Getty)

As Prince Harry turns 40 today, I find myself torn between admiration and disappointment. It’s an unusual dilemma – having covered the royal family for over two decades, there’s perhaps no other royal who’s gone from darling to divisive with such alarming speed. Harry, the once-beloved rebel prince who won the hearts of the nation, has evolved into something of a high-profile enigma. I’m not here to throw tomatoes at the man – credit must be given where it’s due. Yet, despite my best efforts to stay impartial, I’m still left scratching my head over the royal rascal’s journey since he met Meghan Markle.

Let’s start with the positives. Harry’s crowning glory over the last decade is undeniably his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The Duke of Sussex said this week that becoming a father to his two children had given him a “fresh perspective on life” and made him more committed to making the world a better place. Let’s hope he can follow a similar pledge through with his family here in Blighty.

The Invictus Games has also been a success. Helping wounded veterans and service personnel is a noble cause, and for that, I’ll applaud him. But for every Invictus, there’s an “Oprah Interview,” a “Harry & Meghan” Netflix special, or a bestselling memoir with a title so self-indulgent – Spare – that it might as well be the world’s longest subtweet.

Yes, that series of verbal grenades hurled at the royal family has left scorch marks, not just on Buckingham Palace, but on Harry’s reputation as well. His accusations, particularly around race, have undoubtedly deepened the rift with his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William.

The crux of the issue? The Sussexes never seem to say anything positive about the royal family. It’s a grievance on a loop. And recently, when King Charles and the Princess of Wales were grappling with serious illness, Harry and Meghan’s interviews – timed to perfection on ITV and CBS – were about as helpful as a bull in a royal china shop.

Harry, of course, still holds a notable place in the royal hierarchy – fifth in line to the throne, for what that’s worth these days. But, alas, no HRH title for him or Meghan. However, their children, Archie and Lilibet, are now free to wield their Prince and Princess titles should they so desire despite the accusations levelled at the family as to why they wouldn’t be forthcoming. Just “call us Harry and Meghan”, or is it Prince, Duke or Duchess with a cherry on top?

The couple’s recent “quasi-royal” tours to Nigeria and Colombia, have drawn some positive attention, promoting causes like gender equality and combating online abuse. But it’s hard to shake the sense that their goodwill tours have an air of “royals-lite,” as if someone swapped out the finest Champagne for Prosecco and hoped no one would notice.

Speaking of public backlash, Harry’s acceptance of the Pat Tillman Award and the Living Legend of Aviation Award raised more than a few eyebrows. Over 70,000 people signed a petition against the former, which in my opinion was unnecessary. Harry has after all served his country and supported wounded soldiers through his Invictus Games. He deserved that one, in my opinion.

Then there’s the curious matter of Harry’s security. His ongoing battle with the Home Office over whether he and his family receive adequate police protection on British soil has become somewhat of a farce. Despite flying over to the UK with very little notice, Harry still focuses on the fight for his importance, I mean security. Should he lose in a hearing scheduled for next April, some say it could spell the end of what little relationship with the UK he has left.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s tour of Colombia was a success (Image: Getty)

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Harry’s self-imposed exile in America is starting to feel like an extended gap year that’s gone terribly wrong. Rumours of a possible return to royal duties swirl occasionally, but there’s little evidence to suggest the Sussexes are packing their bags for Heathrow anytime soon. Meanwhile, Spare – which reads like the world’s most scandalous therapy session – continues to cause fallout with the paperback version due next month. Its release even led to the Sussexes being evicted from Frogmore Cottage. It seems Harry’s new life now comes with fewer royal privileges, and more consequences.

On a personal front, Harry’s made it clear he considers America home, though the minor visa kerfuffle regarding his past drug use seems to have been resolved. As for the Sussexes’ financial future? Their $100 million Netflix deal keeps them afloat, along with reported inheritances from relatives Harry seems so intent in distancing himself from.

So here we are, with Prince Harry at 40: part humanitarian, part headline-generator, and entirely controversial. His transformation from cheeky royal to divisive figure leaves one wondering if, in his quest to carve out a new identity, he’s simply lost the plot. Only time will tell whether this exiled prince will find his way back – or if he even wants to. For now, Harry remains a character as puzzling as he is polarising, forever caught between two worlds, and seemingly at odds with both.