Prince Harry may have spent the weekend amid Hollywood glamour with Meghan Markle — but his thoughts were thousands of miles away.
On Nov. 5, the Duke of Sussex penned a surprise essay titled “The Bond, the Banter, the Bravery: What It Means to Be British,” released ahead of Remembrance Day — the Nov. 11 observance honoring members of the armed forces who lost their lives in service.
“Though currently, I may live in the United States, Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for,” the Duke of Sussex wrote, as quoted by People magazine. “The banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands, ridiculous as it sounds, these are the things that make us British. I make no apology for it. I love it.”
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Royal experts told Fox News Digital there’s little doubt the father of two feels homesick as he continues to navigate life in California.
“Harry’s essay on Remembrance Day showed him at his best and also highlighted his status as an exile,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
“Exiles feel deep regret,” he said. “He knows the military was the making of him after the trauma he suffered following the death of his mother, which still haunts him. He has given back with the Invictus Games, a remarkable achievement.
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“His words clearly came from the heart and were all the more moving for that. His respect and affection for Queen Elizabeth II, whom he called ‘my Commander-in-Chief,’ is undoubted.”
Archewell told Fox News Digital they had no comment.
Harry kept calm and carried on during the weekend. On Nov. 8, the 41-year-old and his wife attended the Baby2Baby Gala in West Hollywood. The annual fundraiser supports mothers and children living in poverty.
Later that evening, the couple attended a party in Beverly Hills honoring Kris Jenner, who turned 70 on Nov. 5. People magazine reported the James Bond-themed celebration was hosted at Jeff Bezos’ mansion.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace.
After moving to California, they aired their grievances with the royal family in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, followed by a revealing Netflix series in 2022. In 2023, Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” was published. It laid bare his struggles with royal life while sharing personal conversations with family members.
“Prince Harry is a shadow of his previous gregarious self,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
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“Prince Harry was always caught laughing and full of energy. This was certainly the case on his arrival in the U.S. five years ago. I’m sure he misses parts of his previous life in the U.K. … I don’t believe the celebrity world floats Prince Harry’s boat.”
“He widened his already deep rift in the royal family with his memoir,” said Fitzwilliams. “All this, to build a profile which has given [the couple] global reach — which it has, but in a deeply destructive way. So he is bound to have very deep regrets. The state of his father’s health is bound to add to them.”
On Sept. 10, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry spent time with his father, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, at Clarence House. It was the first time they had met in more than a year.
A meeting in July between representatives of the king, 76, and his son led to suggestions that the frigid relationship between Harry and his family might be thawing, The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted Harry has had little contact with his elder brother, Prince William, heir to the throne.
In May, Harry told the BBC he would “love reconciliation with my family.”
“There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he said. “Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
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British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that many of Harry’s pals feel he’s “desperately lonely in California” as he continues to miss his old life — the one he’s always known.
“For many American Brits, particularly from England, there are two sayings that sum us up,” she said. “The first is from John Mahoney, ‘You can take the boy out of England, but you can’t take England out of the boy,’ referring to his huge emotional attachment to England. The other is from Shakespeare, ‘This precious stone set in the silver sea … this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.’”
“There is so much about America to love, and he has embraced so much so quickly,” Fordwich said. “There is nothing he has ever said or done that can be seen as bad-mouthing England — his family, yes; the ‘Firm,’ yes; but not his beloved England. He certainly has wavered regarding becoming an American and shares nostalgia with friends, adding he misses England with his closest friends.”
During a recent appearance on the “Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know” podcast, Harry was asked about becoming a U.S. citizen.
“Am I going to become a U.S. citizen? There are no plans to be, at this point,” he said.
Last year, the Duke of Sussex told “Good Morning America” that he had “considered” becoming a U.S. citizen, but it wasn’t a “high priority.”
People magazine pointed out that Harry is a veteran, having served for a decade in the British Army from 2005 to 2015.
Back in 2024, Roya Nikkhah, royals editor for The Sunday Times and co-host of the podcast “The Royals with Roya and Kate,” claimed to Fox News Digital that the Duke of Sussex has been doing “a fair amount of looking back.”
“He loves his family life out in the States,” Nikkhah said at the time. “He’s thrilled to be a dad. I suppose for him, it’s just finding a role — a really meaningful role going forward. The Invictus Games are fantastic, and he does great work there, and that will continue. But I think for him going forward, it’s finding a meaningful role for himself living out in the States on the global stage.”
“Being a humanitarian is what he says he wants to be,” Nikkhah continued. “I think that’s what he will probably look to focus on for the next few years – how he builds that profile as a humanitarian.”
Those close to Harry told Nikkhah that he seems torn “between battling old demons and getting on with his life.”
“All he does is spend time looking back,” one former adviser to Harry told Nikkhah. “If only he could wrench his neck around and look forward.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell at the time.
Nikkhah told Fox News Digital the possibility of Harry having a partial role as a working royal has long been dismissed. However, Fordwich told Fox News Digital she wouldn’t be surprised if Harry returned to support his home country in some capacity.
“I would not be surprised at all to see him return, if not for a short time each year,” said Fordwich. “But any return would be personal in nature, as there is no foreseeable scenario for him to resume royal duties — particularly with how strongly Prince William is against such.
“His Remembrance Day essay, which included many references to his British military camaraderie and pride, was heartfelt, genuine and demonstrated where his allegiance lies.”
