Prince Harry 'is missing having a structure to his life' in LA and being away from his friends

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a tumultuous couple of years, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex subjected to a string of online abuse since tying the knot.

Meghan Markle in particular has faced a strong backlash, something the royal family and Prince Harry in particular have had to speak out about on multiple occasions.

After rumours of feuds with the rest of the Mountbatten-Windsors and attacks on their 'celebrity' lifestyle, Harry and Meghan intended to step back from their roles as 'senior' royals, hoping to keep serving the Queen but become financially independent.

Instead, due to the whole situation blowing up publicly, the couple lost their HRH titles and Sussex brand, relocated over the pond to a 'paparazzi-proof' LA mansion and are in the midst of a lawsuit against the tabloids that bullied them.

According to the Daily Mail, Prince Harry 'has been telling friends he still can’t believe this has happened.'

The sources informed the publication that 'he can’t believe his life has been turned upside down. 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 friends reportedly added that Harry is 'really missing the army as well his military appointments. There is just a sense that he might have been better protected if he was still in the army.'

Vanity Fair's royal reporter Katie Nicholl added about Prince Harry's situation: 'This is a very strange time for us all, but I think Harry is missing having a structure to his life right now. He doesn’t have friends in L.A. like Meghan and he doesn’t have a job. So at the moment, he’s a bit rudderless, but it won’t always be like this, and he knows that.'

According to a source via Katie Nicholl: 'Harry has been on lots of conference calls and has been very busy keeping in touch with friends and colleagues. He is keeping up regular communication with all of the organisations he works with at home in the UK'

Opening up about the sad decision he was forced to make at the time, Prince Harry told crowds: 'It brings me great sadness that it has come to this.'

He continued: 'The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.

'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.'

We hope Meghan and Harry are finally getting some privacy now.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.