I Have To Protect My Wife & Little Archie

Prince Harry makes a bombshell decision about his future as a royal

It’s not like Prince Harry to miss a party of any kind, so when he was absent at two huge royal gatherings in one week, palace aides knew something very serious was afoot.

Harry, 34, was nowhere to be seen at the Order of the Garter service on June 17 – where his grandmother the Queen, father Prince Charles and brother Prince William played important roles – despite almost every other member of the monarchy cheering them on at Windsor Castle.

RACE DAY NO-SHOW

But perhaps more tellingly, Harry was noticeably absent from the Royal Ascot races the following weekend, despite William, his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, both 37, and cousin Zara Tindall, 38, kicking up their heels in the royal box.

“Harry never usually misses an opportunity to let his hair down with his brother and cousins, so him not being at Ascot was extremely telling. It suggests he’s had enough of royal life – even his favourite parts,” an insider tells Woman’s Day.

While his family were all smiles during their day at the races, Harry was instead giving a rousing speech in London on clearing landmines in Angola – a cause famously close to the heart of his late mum Princess Diana.

“This recent change in behaviour from Harry is a clear indication that he’s determined to ignore royal protocol and do what makes him happy,” says a long-time royal watcher.

The 34-year-old, who married former Suits actress Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, in May last year, is widely reported to be growing increasingly frustrated with the backlash against his American wife, who last month gave birth to his son Archie.