(NewsNation) — Poor Prince Harry.
While he lives in an Italianate mansion in Montecito with his gorgeous wife, Meghan Markle, and two adorable children, the ginger-haired prince is said to be “desperately lonely,” friends say.
”He doesn’t really have any real friends in the area except for (fellow polo player) Nacho (Figueras) and Nacho travels constantly for polo matches,” one friend said.
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“He is still very close with the ‘band of brothers’ who were at his wedding — particularly Guy Pelley and Mark Dyer, but… they live in England and the time zones are so different it’s very hard to talk regularly. And again, there is no one for him to hang out with (in person) besides Nacho when he is in town or Meghan and the children. He spends a lot of his time chilling with his bodyguards.”
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Prince Harry ‘has one foot in the past’: Report
Ironically, both Pelley and Dyer have American wives, just like Harry — and they do spend time in the States but at their wives’ homes in Texas (Pelley) and Virginia (Dyer).
And while sources tell People magazine Harry “has one foot in the past,” friends say, “of course he does! He spent his entire life in England with family and friends (before Megxit). It’s harder to forge deep friendships with people when you’re older, especially if you’re wary they may speak to the press.”
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 08: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attends the One805 Rock for Responders benefit at The Granada Theatre on March 08, 2025 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, attend the Time100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Midtown on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 23: (L-R) Sam Jacobs, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Jessica Sibley and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2025 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME)
Britain’s Prince Harry, left, accompanied by Prince Seeiso of Lesetho, meets pupils in a class during his visit to the Kananelo Centre for the Deaf outside Maseru, Lesotho, on Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles with new born Prince Harry, leave St. Mary’s Hospital on September 16, 1984 in Paddington, London. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)
Princess Diana carries Prince Harry on her shoulders at Highgrove. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service. (Photo by Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – AUGUST 15: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata during a visit to Colombia on August 15, 2024 in Bogota, Colombia. (Photo by Diego Cuevas/Getty Images)
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are seen at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado on Aug. 18, 2024 in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)
Ironic, as Harry’s family, King Charles and Prince William, don’t speak to him, as they share the same fear — that anything they say will be repeated to a media outlet.
“It’s like history is repeating itself,” the friend added, referring to Edward VIII (later known as the Duke of Windsor after he gave up being king to marry Wallis Simpson).
Duke and Duchess of Windsor became outcasts similar to Prince Harry
After Edward abdicated, the royal family had minimal contact with the errant erstwhile monarch, who spent his time with his wife mostly in Paris, with frequent trips to the United States.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were outcasts among the elite, and his brother, King George, only saw him briefly (without Wallis in attendance) a few times after the abdication in private — but Edward and Wallis found favor with international hangers-on and social climbers.
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Sound familiar? The difference is mainly Edward and Wallis mostly kept quiet. Something Harry and Meghan are not willing to do.
In an attempt to earn a living, make money and stay afloat, the couple do calculated press appearances (often dropping tidbits about the royal family to keep interest up) and Instagram drops — where they have been showing more and more of their children Archie and Lilibet’s faces as of late (due to “privacy” concerns, the couple do not show the children’s full faces).
Prince Harry reportedly spoke to Princess Diana’s brother about surname
Harry, known to be petulant and cross when he doesn’t get his way, was so upset with his family — even accusing them of holding up Archie and Lilibet’s British passports, which would solidify the children’s royal standing, that he even is said to have consulted with his uncle Earl Spencer (Diana’s brother) about changing his last name from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer.
The couple did eventually change their name, but used Sussex, the county in their titles, as their last names, dropping Mountbatten-Windsor, the name used by the royal family.
Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, with their sons William and Harry in Venice on May 5, 1985. (Photo by John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
As a source told People: “Meghan wishes her husband could feel less burdened by the past and more present in the life they’ve built together.”
Something my source laughs at.
”Please — look how easily she cut her own father out of her life after he displeased her. She’s good at it. She is fine never speaking with her father again. Harry is not. England was his entire life — of course he has a foot in the past. He is lonely and misses his friends and family. He used to be able to call people up, go have a pint and hang out anytime. He can’t do that now. Now he just has his bodyguards.”
Sounds dreadful.
Prince Harry steps down from charitable organization Sentebale
Not to mention, Harry’s dream of devoting his life to charity has hit several snags this year.
Harry is head of Invictus Games — a charity he started in 2014 for wounded warriors — is on the board of Africa Parks and heads up Archewell, the foundation he started with his wife, Meghan Markle. And up until recently, he was the patron of Sentebale, the organization he started decades ago with his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help fight AIDS but which now “empowers” young people.
Harry stepped down from Sentebale earlier this year after a public row with the new chairwoman who accused Harry and others of “misongynoir” (dislike of black women), misogyny, and of absenteeism.
And, as I exclusively reported last month, Archewell was found to have given over $50,000 to an anti-Israel activist (upon learning from me about the allegation, Archewell immediately cut ties with the group), and now there’s massive trouble afoot with his other beloved cause, African Parks.
Prince Harry-connected charity admits to rangers committing human rights abuses
Last month, it was announced that an investigation led by Cherie Blair — the wife of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair — found that a charity Prince Harry is connected to admitted its rangers commit human rights abuses against those in the Republic of Congo Indigenous communities, according to reports.
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Harry is also said to be stung that he and Meghan were passed over by TIME magazine for its 100 list of philanthropists — the magazine instead awarded the honor to Harry’s nemesis, brother Prince William and Princess Catherine.
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