The Queen Is Still Prince Harry's Mentor Since the Royal Exit

last updated 9 October 2021

Since the royal exit, reports have swirled that Prince Harry (opens in new tab) has fallen out with many members of the royal family, but this isn't necessarily true. While he and his older brother, Prince William, have been relatively open about their issues (for royals, that is), Harry is reportedly still in close contact with his father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
According to royal expert and author Katie Nicholl (opens in new tab), Harry has been in close contact with the Queen via phone and video chat since the royal exit.
"Harry has always seen his grandmother as a mentor. While he might be in LA that has not changed," Nicholl explained.

The royal exit has changed a lot of things for Prince Harry (opens in new tab), but one thing that's still the same as always is his close bond with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth (opens in new tab) II.

Although Harry's relationship with his older brother, Prince William (opens in new tab), has been infamously strained since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle (opens in new tab), announced their decision to step back from royal life, he's stayed in close contact with other members of his family, according to royal expert and author Katie Nicholl.

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"Harry is in touch with his father the Prince of Wales and he is in quite regular contact with the Queen," Nicholl explained, according to Express (opens in new tab). "She is always delighted to see Archie on video calls and it is very important to her that she touches base with Harry."

More than just touching base, Harry and the Queen (opens in new tab) reportedly have such a close bond that he still turns to her for advice and discusses his future plans with her—and the royal exit hasn't changed that.

"She is in touch with them, she knows what is going on in their lives, they discuss their plans with her," Nicholl added. "Harry has always seen his grandmother as a mentor. While he might be in LA that has not changed."

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. 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.