Prince Harry is allegedly struggling with life in Hollywood — while his wife, Meghan Markle, is thriving.
The Duke of Sussex is “somewhat uneasy” with living under the spotlight, royal author Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly in an article published Tuesday.
“He has suffered from crippling social anxiety,” Anderson alleged, noting that “Meghan embraces that life more.”
Prince Harry, 41, is still grappling with the challenges of balancing his new life in California with his old life in the UK, where his estranged royal family members reside.
“Does it pain Harry to be pointedly excluded from times when the royal family gets together, like Christmas at Sandringham? Of course it does,” Anderson quipped.
Anderson believes Harry is “content” with his life in ritzy Montecito, Calif., but that it saddens him that the couple’s children — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — are growing up without ties to royal life.
“Neither he nor his children are sharing in their royal heritage,” Anderson pointed out, adding that Harry must have regrets.
However, a source told the outlet that Harry is happy to be away from the British tabloids.
“Harry is so happy living in the private world,” the source claimed. “Even though he was raised [as a royal], he was never comfortable in that environment. He feels more like himself here.”
The insider explained that the “Spare” author didn’t enjoy the rigidity of royal life.
“He had this crazy schedule and would come back through the palace gates and couldn’t go out or have a personal life,” the source said.
Anderson, however, claimed that Harry thrived under the strict rules of the monarchy.
“People often forget that Harry is at his core an army officer,” Anderson said. “He’s all about structure, honor and duty — things that are missing from his life in Montecito.”
It was especially “painful” for Harry — who served in the British army for 10 years — when his honorary military titles were stripped after he resigned from his royal duties in 2020.
“That was extremely difficult because the military was a big part of his life,” the source said.
Therefore, the Invictus Games has provided Harry with a way to “stay connected to that world.”
The Invictus Games have “been a lifeline for him,” Anderson said.
While Markle, 44, has been busy building a lifestyle and media empire, Harry is allegedly leaning into his fatherly duties.
“Although Harry hasn’t settled into a permanent position, he’s spending time with his young children and being a hands-on dad,” royal historian Marlene Koenig said. “Meghan is the breadwinner.”
Harry has expressed heartbreak over the idea that his kids won’t grow up knowing his family after he lost his battle for the UK to provide the Sussexes with security while they’re in town.
“The things that [my kids are] going to miss is, well, everything,” he told the BBC last spring. “I love my country, I always have done… and I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
Fortunately, Harry was granted a victory this month when the Royal and VIP Executive Committee determined that Harry and his family met the threshold to be provided with protection by the country.
Harry will allegedly remain in California for good, but he does plan to visit his family across the pond more often.
“Harry has always said the door remains open to some sort of relationship with the royal family,” Andersen said. “Meghan’s focused on their life in Montecito, but he’s holding out hope that he can eventually divide his time between California and the UK.”
His rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Read the full article here
