It's time for Harry to stop living in the past

PRINCE Harry's 40th birthday is a milestone in more ways than one.

- ANGELA LEVIN

It's a time to think about his past achievements and what might lie ahead. But it's also an opportunity to stop living in the past - and end his conflict with the Royal Family.

From 2016, I spent two years writing his biography, following him at various engagements and chatting to him at Kensington Palace.

Harry knows he has charisma and can draw people of all ages towards him. His grandmother Queen Elizabeth shared his sense of humour and adored being with him. But his unstable home life and the loss of his mother has left him with deep scars. Will they begin to heal in middle age or will he never be totally happy?

Harry was certainly an emotional child. He always got upset when the Queen Mother only invited his brother William to tea to discuss his future role as King. Harry increasingly felt he had no role.

TRAUMAS

But now, as he turns 40, he has told the BBC he is no longer "anxious" but "excited" about the future. He says being a father "has given me a fresh perspective on life" and that he's "more driven and more committed to making this world a better place". His ambition is admirable - but inflated.

In 2020, Harry left the Royal Family to go it alone. Today he and wife Meghan go on pseudo royal visits.