Prince Harry's Friends Say He Feels Like His Life Has Been "Turned Upside Down" by His Move to America

On Saturday, May 2, the official Kensington Palace Instagram account shared another new birthday portrait of Princess Charlotte.

  • Things have changed a lot for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in recent months.
  • The couple announced their decision to step back from their roles as senior working royals at the beginning of the year and have since relocated to California.
  • Sources close to Harry told the Daily Mail that the royal feels like his life has been "turned upside down" by the move and friends of his believe the transition may have been easier for Harry if he'd been able to stay in the military. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle uprooted their lives this year in favor of a fresh start in the United States. And, according to friends (albeit, anonymous ones—so take their statements with a grain of salt), Harry is feeling the impact of the change in a really, really big way.

According to the Daily Mail, Harry has confided in friends that he "cannot believe" what has happened to him since his and Meghan's decision to step back from their royal duties and he feels like his life has been "turned upside down" as a result.

Those close to the prince suggest that this period of transition may have been easier on Harry if he'd been able to stay in the military. The Daily Mail says that a "well-placed source" believes Harry would have been "better protected from the turmoil he has faced in recent times had he remained in the Armed Forces." 

"Harry has told friends he is really missing the Army as well as his military appointments. He misses the camaraderie of being in the forces," a source reportedly told The Telegraph. "He has been telling friends that he still can't believe this has happened. He can't believe his life has been turned upside down."

According to the source, the Armed Forces have always been a source of stability in Harry's life.

"He was in a happy place when he was serving in the Army, then he met Meghan and since then life has been great. But I don't think he foresaw things turning out quite as they did," the source said. "There is just a sense he might have been better protected [amidst the royal exit] if he was still in the Army."

#HugsforHarry.

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(Image credit: Jonathan Brady - PA Images)
Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.