With the world watching, they can’t afford another scandal
He was once known as the “party prince”, famed as much for his wild antics as for his royal upbringing. But since settling down with wife Meghan Markle in 2018 – and under her PR-savvy tutelage – Prince Harry has waved goodbye to his former persona. Gone are the days of falling out of nightclubs and being papped on lads’ nights outs, replaced by a philanthropic father who’s more likely to be doing a juice cleanse at home in Montecito than necking shots at one of London’s nightclubs.
But we all need to let off a little steam now and then, and Harry is no exception, especially after a bumpy 12 months. According to insiders, the US-based prince is reeling from his and Meghan’s public flops of the last year, coupled with some complicated feelings following the news that both his estranged father King Charles and sister-in-law Kate Middleton are being treated for cancer.
So, with a long-awaited return to the UK pencilled in for May – where he’s due to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games with a speech at St Paul’s Cathedral – we’re told Harry will be taking the opportunity to catch up with old friends, and potentially squeeze in some early birthday celebrations ahead of his big 40th in September. There’s just one snag: Meghan is horrified by the idea. After all, with the world watching their every move, the last thing the Sussexes need is another scandal – and given Harry’s history of courting controversy, she won’t risk the fallout. So, he’s under strict instructions to stick to the script and stay “on brand”.
“Harry has so much he wants to do in the UK. He’s excited about seeing his mates, and maybe even enjoying a nice getaway with them ahead of his big birthday,” says an insider close to the 39 year old, who’s made only fleeting visits to the UK since he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020, most recently spending just 25 hours here in February to see his father. “It’s been so long since Harry’s had a chance to let loose and enjoy himself like the good old days, and he feels justified in doing it for his 40th. It’s a huge milestone and he’s well within his rights to celebrate. Some might think it’s tone deaf to be planning a celebration, but he insists he deserves it after all the stress he’s been through.”
As heat has told you, Harry and Meghan weathered a PR storm last year after a series of blunders. Not only were they dropped by Spotify, with one executive labelling them “f**king grifters”, they were
