Prince Harry has turned 40 with his life in California worlds away from the one he led 10 years ago on his landmark 30th birthday – and royal experts have one question for the Duke of Sussex after his big day…

From dog walks on the beach under the Californian sun to rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elite at cosy parties – life for Prince Harry couldn’t be more different compared to 10 years ago.

As he prepared to turn 30, he had just finished his military service, launched his highly successful Invictus Games with the inaugural event in London and was firmly inside the royal bubble as a working member of the Firm.

Fast forward a decade to today, the Duke of Sussex has turned 40 in a set of highly different circumstances having quit royal life and swapped it for a very different one in the United States with his wife Meghan Markle, along with their two children Prince Archie, five, and three-year-old Princess Lilibet.

But that’s not to say things are all rosy – his relationships with his father King Charles and brother Prince William are said to be at breaking point caused by a huge royal rift fuelled by Harry railing against his family in his bombshell Netflix series and controversial memoir. However, some might see their decision to send him public birthday wishes as an olive branch.

But with these huge changes to his life, both positive and more tumultuous, in the past 10 years, many might ask if Harry is happy at 40. And according to royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, it is the “million-dollar question”. She told the Mirror: “He is certainly rich (more money has just poured into his coffers from the late Queen Mother), and with the Sussexes’ unique blend of Californian-royalty, he is stratospherically famous.

Harry with wife Meghan Markle ( 
Image:
Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women)

Harry and Meghan with their children Archie and Lilibet ( 
Image:
Netflix)

“But ‘happy’ is much harder to quantify. Certainly at 40 Harry’s world is miles away from his royal bubble of ten years ago. Then, he was the product of two very British institutions – the army and the monarchy. Nowadays, dog walks on Californian sand and casual dinners in a local Italian with a new set of Montecito friends, have replaced the predictable royal churn of Balmoral, Sandringham, King and Country.

“But, if you look for it, there is continuity. Ten years ago, Harry celebrated his 30th birthday with the launch of the Invictus Games. He had found his calling: later writing: ‘I was caught off guard by this wave of appreciation and gratitude. And joy.’

“Service, then and now, makes Harry happy. The big difference is ten years ago Harry had his Dad by his side. ‘Well done, darling boy’ was Charles’s response to Harry’s first Invictus performance. Nowadays, the Prince is a seasoned performer, but I suspect he’d be far happier if his father was still cheering him from the sidelines. A landmark birthday is always a good place to start. Fingers crossed the King found the time to reach out to his son, yesterday of all days.”

Harry just after his 30th birthday ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Meanwhile, royal biographer Ingrid Seward believes that not even Harry could have foretold his life now. She explained: “Harry would never have envisaged himself living in California 10 years ago. He was still dedicated to the military although his active career was ending. He founded the Invictus Games and the first tournament took place to huge fanfare in London in September 2014 around the time of his 30th birthday.

“King Charles would have celebrated his son’s 40th from a distance. Milestone birthdays are important to the royals. Whatever upsets Harry has caused will be forgotten for the day. Prince William wished his brother Happy Birthday – even if it was through clenched teeth. He doesn’t trust him, but together with his family he wished him the best on his milestone birthday.”

Ahead of his big day, Harry insisted he is ‘excited’ about turning 40 as he prepares to celebrate this birthday with friends. In a statement issued to the BBC, he said: “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40. Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.

“Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work. Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”

Harry is understood to have spent his birthday with his two children as well as wife Meghan. He is said to have planned a holiday with friends afterwards to mark the age. It is in stark contrast to the 30th birthday celebrations held for him 10 years ago. Ingrid added: “Harry celebrated his 30th with his mates at a grand dinner in Clarence House. His 40th will be in the sunshine of Montecino with a wife and two kids. He says he is happier now. We hope he is.”