The Duke of Sussex turns 40 on September 15
Palace insiders have reportedly claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are hard to help, as they make everything “exhaustingly difficult.”
According to sources cited by the Daily Mail, the Palace admits to mishandling the “Sussex situation,” but adds that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down from their senior royal roles and relocated to California in 2020, perceive conspiracy “at every turn,” complicating efforts to support them
An insider familiar with the crisis mentioned that Harry “wasn’t happy” and “couldn’t hide that,” making the decision to leave Britain the best option for the Sussexes.
The source said Harry “needed to make a break” and leave what was described as “a horrible, toxic atmosphere” which eventually led him to cut ties with his family in Britain – a topic he discussed extensively in TV interviews, the couple’s Netflix documentary and his memoir, Spare. The source’s comments came ahead of Harry’s 40th birthday.
The Duke is set to celebrate the milestone with his wife and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at their home in Montecito, and will reportedly see his closest friends after that.
However, no members of the Royal Family are expected to join the celebrations. Talking to the Mail, a source said Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, is “non-existent” as the Prince of Wales “feels betrayed” by his younger brother and “has other priorities.”
Another source described the brothers’ relationship as “a complicated beast” but said there are hopes of reconciliation in the future, adding: “I’d still like to think they might talk, one day. But there’s a long road ahead and we certainly aren’t any closer to that today.”
Reports suggest that Prince Harry has enlisted a new UK press agent to enhance his image at home. Despite facing some negative press in the UK, the Duke of Sussex finds comfort in his higher popularity in the U.S. A YouGov poll commissioned by The Times shows that 49% of Americans view Harry positively, whereas only 38% hold a favorable view of King Charles.
However, Harry’s popularity is not without its challenges, as his elder brother, Prince William, leads the popularity charts with a notable 54% of Americans expressing a favorable opinion of him.