The Duke of Sussex is celebrating his 40th birthday this weekend and while he said “bring on the next decade” a royal expert claims that it will not be easy due to his waning “royal celebrity status”
Prince Harry is facing the Sussexes’ waning “royal celebrity status” as he celebrates his 40th birthday, a royal expert has suggested.
The Duke of Sussex reaches the milestone on Sunday, and ahead of his big day he gave a statement saying: “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.” He also described his joy as the father of “two incredibly kind and funny kids”, saying it has “sharpened my focus in all my work”, and he ended with: “Bring on the next decade.”
Harry similarly said he is “excited” about celebrating his birthday, in comments released to the BBC he added that fatherhood had given him a renewed sense of purpose to make “this world a better place”.
But royal expert Hugo Vickers, reflecting on Harry turning 40, believes that it won’t be easy for the Sussexes going forward after they made the “extraordinary” step of moving to the United States.
He told The Sun that it is a “highly commercial and very different world” to that which Harry was brought up in, while claiming that the Sussexes rely on his waning “royal celebrity status” He added: “The press are interested in them now but that won’t last forever. I think he will be reflecting on that.”
The past 10 years have been a period of upheaval for Harry and his wife Meghan who, after struggling behind the scenes with royal life, stepped down as working royals and moved to America for financial and personal freedom. The couple appear content with their lives in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California where they have established a new life for themselves and their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
But it has been reported that Harry is set to celebrate his birthday on a lads’ holiday to “enjoy a weekend getaway with a few of his closest mates”. The fact that he will be with his pals and not his wife has caused rumours of trouble in the relationship to grow as did his statement which referred to his children but not Meghan.
Meanwhile, the duke remains estranged from his brother the Prince of Wales, highlighted by the siblings reportedly not talking when they attended a family funeral last month, and he has a difficult relationship with other members of the Royal Family after being critical of them during interviews in the United States.
But Harry told the BBC: “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40. Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work. Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place. Bring on the next decade.”
