Prince Harry's Guilt Over Being Separated From His Family Is "Overwhelming"

Prince Harry, who left the senior royal family with wife Meghan Markle in April, reportedly hates being away from his family during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Duke Of Sussex Hosts The Rugby League World Cup 2021 Draws
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  • Despite early reports that Prince Harry had no regrets about leaving the Royal Family, now sources say he's worried about his family during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
  • After Prince Charles called to tell his son about his diagnosis, Harry is apparently "overwhelmed with guilt."
  • Much will change for the royal post-split, including potentially getting a new last name.

Prince Harry is, reportedly, excited to be in L.A. with wife Meghan Markle and son Archie Harrison. However—as is quite expected, he's also feeling the separation between him and his family right now, especially after Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 (Charles is now believed to be on the mend).

"Despite their ups and downs, hearing that his dad is sick with a potentially life-threatening illness is a huge wake-up call," a source told Us Weekly. "And he’s overwhelmed with feelings of guilt for not being closer to home while this is all going on." Apparently Charles made a call to both his sons, Harry and Prince William, to deliver the news. (Can you imagine getting that call? Devastating.)

"During the heart-wrenching call, [Harry] confessed to feeling beyond helpless, being over 5,000 miles away in L.A.," explained the source. "Charles tried to calm Harry down by saying he’s OK and that he’s only suffering from mild symptoms, which slightly helped put his mind at ease but he’s [Harry] still worried. Harry’s admitted it’s hit home that Charles and the Queen aren’t going to be around forever."

On the plus side, it does seem like the communication channels are open again, perhaps in a way they weren't before. "Harry tries to keep in regular contact with the Queen and Charles, but due to the 8-hour time difference calls are few and far between," the source adds. "The royals are desperately trying to rally together amid the pandemic, which is a huge struggle given that they’ve been forced to physically separate."

In the meantime, Harry and Meghan are self-isolating in California. They just made their last post on Sussex Royal, talking about this "fragile" moment in the world and referencing their continuing work:

But it's speculated we're not going to hear much from them for a while.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributor

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.