by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex was born on September 15, 1984, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England. He is the second of the two sons of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his first wife Lady Diana Spencer. Although he is known as Prince Harry, his full name is Henry Charles Albert David.

Prince Harry has one older brother:

• Prince William, The Prince of Wales (born 1982), married Catherine Middleton, had two sons and one daughter

Prince Harry was christened by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, on December 21, 1984, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. His godparents were:

• Prince Andrew, Duke of York (his paternal uncle)
• Bryan Organ (a portrait painter)
• Gerald Ward (friend of his father)
• Lady Vestey (friend of his father, the former Celia Knight, wife of Samuel Vestey, 3rd Baron Vestey)
• Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (his father’s first cousin, later Lady Sarah Chatto)
• Mrs. William Bartholomew (friend of his mother, the former Carolyn Pride)

Like his brother, Prince Harry began his education at Mrs. Mynors’ Nursery School in the Notting Hill section of London. He then joined Prince William at Wetherby School also in the Notting Hill section of London.

Harry followed his brother to Ludgrove School in Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and then in 1998, he joined Prince William at Eton College in Windsor, Berkshire, England. William and Harry’s attending Eton went against what had become the Windsor tradition to attend Gordonstoun School.  Their Spencer grandfather, the 8th Earl Spencer, and uncle, the 9th Earl Spencer, both attended Eton College. While at Eton, Harry was a House Captain of Games and played rugby, cricket, and polo. Harry also received basic military training at Eton, led the Combined Cadet Force at their annual Tattoo, and received the highest rank of Cadet Officer.  Prince Harry passed two A-Level exams and was eligible for a commission in the British Army.

After leaving Eton in 2003, Harry spent part of his gap year in Australia, on a cattle station and participating in the Young England vs Young Australia Polo Test Match. He then traveled to the African country of Lesotho to work at an AIDS orphanage.

In May of 2005, Harry entered Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he was known as Officer Cadet Wales. He completed his training in April of 2006 was commissioned as a Cornet (second lieutenant) in the Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry in the British Army.

Harry’s highest rank in the army was Captain and like his brother William, he used Wales as his surname with his military rank. Harry trained to fly Apache helicopters and has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. In 2014, Harry took up a Staff Officer role in HQ London District as SO3 (Defence Engagement). In this position, he helped to coordinate significant projects and commemorative events involving the British Army in London. Harry ended his career in the army on June 15, 2015.

Harry’s experience in Lesotho during his gap year caused him to form a charity, Sentebale, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, the brother of King Letsie of Lesotho. The goal of Sentebale is “to help vulnerable children, the forgotten victims of poverty and Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

In 2014, Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for injured servicemen and women. Invictus is Latin for “Unconquered, Undefeated.” The first Invictus Games were held on September 10-14, 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England.

On November 8, 2016, Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince Harry was in a relationship with American actress Meghan Markle and released a statement from the prince asking for the “abuse and harassment” of Markle and her family to end.

 

The engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was announced on November 27, 2017.  The couple was married on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle where many royal weddings have been held.  On the morning of the wedding, The Queen created Harry Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Lilibet being held by her mother with her father and brother Archie, from the 2021 Christmas card of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Harry and Meghan have two children:

• Prince Archie of Sussex (born May 6, 2019, at Portland Hospital in London, England)
• Princess Lilibet of Sussex, nicknamed Lili (born June 4, 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California)

Their daughter is named after her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her paternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. “Lilibet” is Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, which originated from Elizabeth’s pronunciation of her name when she was young.  As the children of a duke, Archie and Lilibet were entitled to the courtesy titles Earl of Dumbarton and Lady Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. However, their parents declined the use. With the accession of the children’s grandfather as King Charles III, Archie and Lilibet are male-line grandchildren of the monarch and are entitled to be styled His/Her Royal Highness Prince/Princess.

• Unofficial Royalty: Are the children of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex entitled to be HRH Prince/Princess?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on January 8, 2020, that they will step back as senior royals and divide time between the United Kingdom and North America. However, since that time the Duke and Duchess have made a home in California in the United States.

Below is their statement:

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. 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. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. 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. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

It was announced on January 18, 2020, from Buckingham Palace that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles or receive any public funds for royal duties, as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family. The couple has also made known their intentions to repay the funds used from the Sovereign Grant for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, their home in Windsor Home Park. The statement also said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America and would continue to honor their duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and their patronages.

However, a statement was released on February 19, 2021, stating that as part of the review planned a year earlier when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first stepped away from royal duties, it has been decided that they will no longer have any of their royal patronages or honorary military roles.

Buckingham Palace made the following statement:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.  Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family. While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.

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