Prince Harry reportedly strikes deal that could see Royal return to The Firm after ‘secret summit’ with King
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Prince Harry has not been far from the headlines, despite stepping back.
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Prince Harry’s team met with aides of the King to discuss plans for cooperation that could see the father and son increasingly working around each other, if not together, according to reports.
The Duke of Sussex, who this week announced plans for a Netflix war film with his wife Meghan Markle, is still following his own projects – but increasingly doing so in respect of The Firm, aides have said.
Prince Harry’s representatives met with the Palace’s top team for a “secret summit” ten months ago to discuss plans and how to avoid diary clashes, according to The i Paper.
It was perhaps one of the most significant signs of a thawing of relations since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties to start a new life in California in 2020.
And the seeds of increased collaboration have already seen Charles’s younger son pay tribute to David Attenborough on the environmentalist’s 100th birthday in conjunction with Prince William, and also speak out against antisemitism following the knife attacks in Golders Green.
Royalists have noted that Harry is now also in the loop as to the King’s health, having previously failed to see his father when he made a quick trip to London with this in mind.
However, insiders to The i Paper that this does not mean that Harry is any closer to a fully fledged return to The Firm, nor is the King likely to see his second set of grandchildren with any more regularity.
Here are some of the key questions about Prince Harry.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on a recent trip to Sydney.
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Who is Prince Harry?
Prince Harry, born Henry Charles Albert David, is the Duke of Sussex and second son, after William, Prince of Wales, of King Charles and his first wife, Lady Diana.
He is the fifth in the line of succession to the British throne, behind his older brother and his three children.
Having served in the army and taken part in royal duties throughout his life, Harry stepped back as a working royal in 2020 and has since been living in the US with his American wife Meghan Markle.
Harry was only 12 when he attended the funeral of his mother, Princess Diana.
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Alamy
Prince Harry in January.
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Alamy
How old is Prince Harry?
Prince Harry is 41, born on September 15, 1984.
Although christened Henry, he has been known as Harry his whole life and was educated at Eton College before taking a gap year and joining the British Army.
Princess Diana died in 1997, when Harry was 12, and walked as part of a procession at her funeral from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral that same year.
Harry might have left The Firm, but it appears that he cannot outrun his genes, as onlookers have spotted he might also have fallen victim to the Mountbatten-Windsor balding tradition.
Prince Harry, or Captain Wales as he was known in the British Army.
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When was Harry in the British Army and what did he do?
Prince Harry carried out two frontline tours to Afghanistan as part of his time with the British Army.
He began training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005 and then became a Cornet in the Blues and Royals, joining the Household Cavalry regiment and, in May 2006, began training to become a troop leader of an armoured reconnaissance unit.
He spent four-and-a-half months learning how to be a recce soldier at Camp Bovington in Dorset and in 2007 was announced to be the first royal for 25 years to serve in a conflict zone.
Yet three months later, just before Harry was due to leave, he was pulled out of the tour of duty after intelligence revealed insurgents were specifically planning to target him and it was too dangerous to allow him to go.
In late 2007, he was able to undertake a 10-week tour of duty fighting the Taliban in dangerous Helmand Province, operating as a battlefield air controller behind enemy lines. The secret mission, however, ended early after it was leaked on the internet.
The duke was promoted from second lieutenant to lieutenant in April 2008. Hoping to go back to Afghanistan, he retrained and qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot after rigorous training in Britain and America.
He was promoted to the rank of captain in April 2011 and was also awarded his Apache Badge from the officer in command of his Squadron at the same time.
In September 2012, he made it back to Afghanistan for a 20-week stint which gave him the chance to use his Apache flying skills and head out on operations in his role as co-pilot gunner.
Kensington Palace officially confirmed Harry’s departure from the Army in March 2015, marking the end of 10 years of service.
Harry with Meghan married in 2018, as the best man Prince William looked on.
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When did Harry marry Meghan Markle, and who did he date before?
Harry began dating Meghan Markle in 2016 and were engaged by November 2017, marrying on May 19, 2018.
Previously, Harry had dated Chelsy Davy between 2004 and 2009, and the pair remained friends, with the Zimbabwean businesswoman attending the 2018 royal wedding.
Harry also dated presenter Caroline Flack in the late 2000s and was attached to the actress and model Cressida Bonas from around 2012 to 2014.
The Sussexes now have two children:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left The Firm in 2020, two years after getting married.
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Alamy
Why did Harry step back as a working royal?
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, announced they would step back as senior members of the Royal Family on January 8, 2020.
Their statement at the time read: “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
“Megxit” was finalised on March 31, the same year, after which they ceased to be working royals.
Their statement added: “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
He has, however, said: “I will always be part of the royal family and I’m here working and doing the very thing that I was born to do, and I enjoy doing it.”
The duke made the comments on a trip to Ukraine, amid which the US president Donald Trump had said that he has a greater claim to speak on behalf of Britain these days.
Since leaving The Firm, Prince Harry has taken a bit-part role in royal events and was present for the funeral of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Harry joined the procession for the funeral of Elizabeth II.
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What does Harry do now?
Since swapping the royal life for the US, Prince Harry has been involved in business and philanthropy projects, and has continued his Invictus Games initiative – to provide a competition to veterans injured in wars.
He has been outspoken about causes close to him, not least mental health, with his book Spare, published in 2023, detailing his own struggles after the death of his mother and coping with being in the spotlight.
Harry has also shared his opinions in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and the Netflix series Harry and Meghan. He has also produced standalone documentaries on the streaming platform, including one about the Invictus Games and a special about polo. Meghan has herself had episodes produced about her life in California.
To quote the couple’s website: “The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.
“This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, patronages, ventures, and organizations which receive the support of the couple, individually and/or together.”
What will Prince Harry do next and is he still in contact with the Royal Family?
Prince Harry and Ukraine Veteran’s Minister Natalia Kalmykova.
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Prince Harry has not confirmed any intentions with regard to seeking a greater relationship with his family, but has made comments to the extent of saying he is still a member of the royal family.
While he is rarely seen with his brother or father, he is reportedly in contact with both, and William sent a birthday message his way in 2024.
The pair are still, for now, committed to speaking about causes on their visits around the world, and are still producing content for Netflix, with the Afghanistan documentary set to follow on next.
It was reported last month that the pair might consider a return to the UK if their trip to Australia was a success, although nothing more has been said about this, and neither Harry nor Meghan has commented.