Prince Harry is best known for being the Duke of Sussex, aside from the fact that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, made their royal departure in 2020. Harry is the youngest son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana. His older brother is Prince William.
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022, many royal family members gathered to be together during this difficult time. Along with this came several new changes in the royal line for succession and new titles for several royal family members.
However, Harry has lived a life outside the family for quite some time now, as he and Meghan are raising their two children – Archie and Lilibet – in California in the United States. Although they had stepped down from their duties as senior royals the previous year, the year 2021 is when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the move to embark on their new life together.
In summer of that year, Lilibet was born and was named in honor of both her late great-grandmother and Harry’s late mother. Lilibet’s birth propelled the couple back into the press after a few months of laying low following their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
Harry’s TV show with Winfrey, “The Me You Can’t See,” also premiered in 2021. He later went on to have a book deal of his own, with his first official memoir coming out sometime in fall 2022. Through it all, the Duke of Sussex has been dedicated to breaking stigmas surrounding mental health and providing resources to help as many people as possible.
And on Sept. 15, 2022, Harry had another reason to celebrate: he turned 38 years old!
Ever since the couple officially left the royal family, Harry and Meghan eschewed social media, instead opting to release official statements via their foundation, Archewell. This means that the last birthday of Harry’s that Meghan publicly celebrated was his 35th. In an Instagram post shared to the couple’s former royal account, Markle wrote a loving message to her husband along with a sweet collage featuring nine photos of the prince throughout his life. The post read:
“Your service to the causes you care so deeply for inspires me every day. You are the best husband and most amazing dad to our son. We love you ❤️Happiest birthday!”
In the collage of photos, the first image showed the late Princess Diana holding Harry as a baby. Meanwhile, the last photo caught the attention of many avid royal fans, as it featured a previously-unseen photo of Archie at his Christening cradled by his mother.
Although the couple is no longer actively using their royal account, it’s still common for other royals to share birthday wishes via their channels, so it was no surprise that Harry received well-wishes from his family, including his brother Prince William and Kate Middleton, his father King Charles III and Camilla, Queen consort and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
Although they’ve mostly kept a low profile since leaving the royal family, Harry and Meghan have stayed busy. For Harry, he has a strong focus on his highly anticipated memoir. Working with Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer, the book is expected to be released in late 2022.
In the announcement released by Penguin Random House, the memoir is described as:
“Covering his lifetime in the public eye from childhood to the present day, including his dedication to service, the military duty that twice took him to the frontlines of Afghanistan, and the joy he has found in being a husband and father, Prince Harry will offer an honest and captivating personal portrait, one that shows readers that behind everything they think they know lies an inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story.”
In the press release, Harry released a statement himself, explaining that he’s writing the memoir “not as the prince (he) was born but as the man (he has) become.” He expressed that his hope in telling his story — “the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned” — is that he “can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.”
Harry has also been dedicated to charity work and encouraging others to open up about their mental health issues. With Archewell, Harry and Meghan focus on non-profit activities and creative media ventures. Harry’s show, “The Me You Can’t See,” also focuses on mental health.
In September, Harry and Meghan traveled to the United Kingdom for charity work and, like the world, were heartbroken over the news of the queen’s passing. Harry traveled to Scotland to be with his family during the difficult time. Although there is so much heartache in the royal family right now, there is also joy in the sense that many members have been reunited.
We wish Harry a very happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Prince Harry! Are you looking forward to seeing more of Harry’s work targeted toward mental health awareness? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family, friends and any royal family fan you know!
