Six years after stepping back from royal life, Prince Harry is making one thing clear: he still considers himself part of the family.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, told ITV during a visit to Ukraine last Friday that he rejects the label “not a working royal.”
“No. I will always be part of the royal family,” Harry said. “I am here working, doing the things that I was born to do.”
He added that he values trips like this one and hopes they keep important causes in the public eye, even when the news moves on.
Harry visited the city of Bucha to meet with landmine clearance charity HALO and see their latest de-mining technology. It’s a cause with personal meaning – his mother, Princess Diana, walked through a live minefield in Angola with the same organisation in 1997 in one of the most memorable moments of her humanitarian work.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they wanted to step back from senior royal duties, split their time between the UK and North America, and become financially independent.
A crunch meeting followed at Sandringham (nicknamed the Sandringham Summit) – attended by then-Prince Charles, Prince William, and the late Queen Elizabeth – which led to an agreed one-year transition period.
When that year ended, the couple’s royal roles were officially over. The Queen was firm: a half-in, half-out arrangement wasn’t possible.
Harry and Meghan maintained that service could continue outside the institution, saying “service is universal” – and settled in California.
THE FALLOUT
Relations have been strained ever since. The Oprah interview, the Netflix documentary, and Harry’s memoir Spare all aired grievances that made reconciliation harder.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith has said the core issue comes down to trust. “The King and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation,” she previously told People magazine.
Harry also recently lost his court appeal to have his UK security restored – something he says has been an ongoing source of tension with his family.
But he says he still wants to repair things. In a BBC interview he said he’d “love reconciliation” and added: “I don’t know how much longer my father has” – a reference to King Charles’s cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
LIFE AFTER THE PALACE
Through their Archewell foundation, Harry and Meghan have continued supporting veterans, mental health initiatives, and women’s rights.
His Ukraine trip fits within that mission – and his words suggest he has no intention of walking away from his sense of royal identity, whatever his official status may be.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
