Prince Harry has seemingly suffered a number of setbacks so far in 2025 – and a former royal aide has offered him advice for the future if he’s keen to reinvent himself
Prince Harry has been given a blunt warning about his next move following a tumultuous 2025 by a former royal aide.
The Duke of Sussex has seemingly suffered a number of setbacks this year – especially when it comes to his working life as wife, Meghan Markle, presses ahead with her own lifestyle brand.
Just this week, he and others were criticised by the Charity Commission for letting a “damaging” boardroom battle play out in the “public eye” and harm the reputation of the charity he co-founded, Sentebale. It comes after claims Prince Harry ‘admits he is still part of the Royal Family and finally sees sense’.
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There have also been questions over his deal with Netflix after his shows, such as Polo and Heart of Invictus, failed to bring in the same ratings as explosive docuseries, Harry & Meghan, where he railed against his royal relatives.
In addition, he also lost his court battle over his security arrangements in the UK. After the judgment was delivered, he gave a bombshell interview to the BBC, claiming the decision was a “stitch-up” and revealed he was not on speaking terms with his father, King Charles.
And with many wondering what Harry’s next move might be, the Queen’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson offered her advice on new Channel 5 documentary, Prince Harry : My Terrible Year.
She told the show he should: “Stop being the victim and start being the hero in the piece. Write your own script. I think people are just getting a little bit tired of Prince Harry talking about how the world is against him and how awful his life is.”
However, she did think this crossroads would be a good opportunity for Harry, and she added: “Maybe this is a semi-colon and not a full stop. And actually, he’s now got time to reinvent.”
One thing that Harry could be on top of Harry’s to-do list is a new project in southern Africa. The Charity Commission had investigated Sentebale after founders Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stepped down as its patrons in support of a group of trustees, who resigned following a dispute with the board of trustees chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka.
The watchdog criticised all parties in the fallout for allowing it to play out publicly and described how all trustees contributed to a “missed opportunity” to resolve the issues that led to the serious disagreement that risked undermining public trust in charities generally.
Harry founded charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.
And after the Charity Commission’s report was released, the duke’s spokesperson said Harry would find alternatives to helping the children supported by Sentebale in Lesotho and Botswana.
He said: “As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former board of trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to – like its namesake – a flowering force for good.
“With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind – and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began – the Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”
Prince Harry: My Terrible Year airs on Channel 5 tonight at 9pm.