. Standing in front of the United Nations General Assembly to deliver a keynote address on Nelson Mandela International Day, it was clear to see how far Prince Harry has come. As he delivered a 15-minute speech – the longest of his career – honoring the historic life of the anti-apartheid activist and former South African president, the Duke of Sussex called on world leaders to build on Mandela’s legacy during this time of global of uncertainty and countries to take urgent action on climate change. “Right now, the water is rising all around us — in some places, literally,” he said, with a level of confidence I’m not sure even he could have seen on the horizon a decade ago. “So it’s more important than ever to seek a purpose greater than ourselves … and get to work.” It was the culmination of a visit to New York for the Duke and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, which also included meetings with UN Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and prolific social justice advocates. As a ‘spare’ heir born without a defined role, the search for a life of greater purpose has been a long and mostly lonely journey for Harry, dating back to the day he enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2005 to begin a ten-year military career . The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Mass at St Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. (EMPICS) Stepping away from his royal role – and the strict limitations of life within the institution of monarchy – was the final step in this journey, ultimately opening up a world of possibilities previously unavailable to him as sixth in line. But not everyone believed in Harry’s decision. Few in his family and the palace thought it was a good idea, many had their own dramatic predictions of how disastrous a move to the US could be. “Frankly, he’s setting himself up for failure,” one very senior aide told me in early 2020. “Without all of that, it’s impossible,” they continued, gesturing to the walls of Buckingham Palace. Read more: ‘Ladies and gentlemen… if I may call you that!’ Camilla jokes about gender identity in speech The story continues As many others in the family bubble claimed at the time, Harry’s ambition to cut himself off from the Sovereign Grant and continue a life of service would have been impossible without the risk of accepting money from the “wrong” parties (a situation that many members of the family they know very well). But two years later, and without a penny from the British taxpayer, Harry created the life he had long dreamed of. A life that, dare I say it, he could not have achieved if he had remained a working member of “The Firm”. The proof is in the pudding. After co-founding the Archewell foundation with Meghan in 2020, Harry has become involved in a variety of issues that royal workers famously shy away from, including fighting misinformation and disinformation, reviving the Black Lives Matter movement, supporting Stop Hate For Profit Movement, even honest discussions about racism. Harry’s global initiative for sustainable and ethical travel, Travalyst, is currently coming out of its pilot phase and is already helping customers choose greener options when browsing flight listings on companies such as Google and Skyscanner. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hug Team UK athlete Lisa Johnston during the Invictus Games in The Hague. (PA) Prince Harry wears a ‘daddy’s girl’ t-shirt in a promotional video for Travalyst. (Travalyst) Just like Sentebale’s positive impact on those affected by HIV/Aids in South Africa and his Invictus Games on the global military community, Travalyst has the game-changing potential to help solve tourism’s contribution to climate change. change and environmental damage. Major deals with digital workout platform Better Up, Netflix and Spotify (his own podcast series is on the horizon) have also seen Harry stay true to his promise that any commercial endeavor he undertakes will still be rooted in a desire to help others and illuminate unheard stories. And off duty is no different. This summer, the duke teamed up with close friend Nacho Figueras to form their own polo team, Los Padres. Harry is pictured after a 2019 polo match in Rome alongside Nacho Figueras, pictured right centre. (Getty) Not just for fun, the four players quickly raised significant funds for Britain’s CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) charity and helpline, Santa Barbara County Food Bank and Heal The Ocean. Of course, whether you’re a working member of The Firm or not, drama will always lurk around the corner for any royal, whose private life is rarely anything like that. His forthcoming memoir – which is now complete and in legal review – will no doubt invite some of that, even if, as sources have told me over the past year, it does not include those much-reported “attacks” on him. family. Read more: Inside the PR business to boost Camilla’s popularity before becoming Queen Consort The book will be Harry’s biggest chance to tell his side of the story – and paint a clearer picture of the man, husband, father and global citizen he is today. Just like his late mother, he too has spent many years of his life being misunderstood. It is one of many parallels in Harry’s life with Princess Diana, about whom he spoke warmly as he stood at UN headquarters on Monday. A woman with unlimited potential, but who the royal family was not interested in exploiting her potential. We will never know how much Diana could have achieved if she were still alive today. But seeing Harry carry on much of her legacy while creating his own, it’s clear the duke has a lot of unfinished business.
