How Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a prominent member of the British royal family, currently fifth in line to the throne. The younger son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, he has undertaken various philanthropic endeavors, including founding the Invictus Games. In 2020, he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior working royals, relocating to the United States. This decision, dubbed "Megxit" by the media, marked a significant shift in his role within the monarchy. He has since pursued independent ventures, including media projects and charitable work, while maintaining a complex relationship with the royal family.
In September 2004, Prince Harry passed the Regular Commissions Board (RCB).
In 2004, Prince Harry first toured Mants'ase Children's Home near Mohale's Hoek in Lesotho, which led to him launching Sentebale: The Princes' Fund for Lesotho, a charity to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in 2006.
In May 2005, Prince Harry entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as Officer Cadet Wales.
In 2005, Prince Harry started his 10 year career in the army, which he would later describe as "the happiest times in my life" in 2021.
In April 2006, Prince Harry completed his officer training at Sandhurst and was commissioned as a Cornet (second lieutenant) in the Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry in the British Army.
In October 2006, Prince Harry completed the Troop Leaders' Course and rejoined his regiment in Windsor, where he was put in charge of a troop of 11 soldiers and four Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles.
Between 2006 and 2019, Harry completed 1,190 engagements.
In 2006, Prince Harry visited Mants'ase Children's Home near Mohale's Hoek in Lesotho, which he had first toured in 2004, and alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, he launched Sentebale: The Princes' Fund for Lesotho, a charity to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, Prince Harry was first deployed on active duty to Afghanistan, serving for ten weeks in Helmand Province.
In April 2008, having reached two years' seniority, Prince Harry was promoted to lieutenant in the Blues and Royals.
In May 2008, Princess Anne presented Prince Harry with an Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan at the Combermere Barracks for his service.
In October 2008, Harry and his brother embarked on the 1,000 mile eight-day Enduro Africa motorbike ride across South Africa to raise money for Sentebale, UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.
In October 2008, it was announced that Prince Harry would follow his brother, father, and uncle in learning to fly military helicopters and attended the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury.
In 2008, Prince Harry concluded his first deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, after serving for ten weeks.
On January 6, 2009, The Queen granted Harry and William their own royal household which released a statement announcing they had established their own office at nearby St James's Palace to look after their public, military and charitable activities.
In February 2009, Prince Harry initially failed his pilot's theory test.
In September 2009, William and Harry set up The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry to enable them to take forward their charitable ambitions.
On 7 May 2010, Prince Charles presented Prince Harry with his flying brevet (wings) at a ceremony at the Army Air Corps Base (AAC), Middle Wallop.
In April 2011, Prince Harry was awarded his Apache Flying Badge on the 14th and was promoted to captain on the 16th.
In June 2011, Clarence House announced that Prince Harry would be available for deployment in current operations in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot.
On 7 September 2012, Prince Harry arrived at Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan as part of the 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps, for a four-month combat tour as a co-pilot and gunner for an Apache helicopter.
In 2012, Prince Harry was deployed for a second tour of duty in Afghanistan for twenty weeks with the Army Air Corps.
On 21 January 2013, it was announced that Prince Harry was returning from a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan.
Between May 9 and 15, 2013, Harry made an official visit to the United States, promoting the rehabilitation of injured American and UK troops, publicising his own charities, and supporting British interests through engagements in Washington, DC, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He also met survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.
On 8 July 2013, the Ministry of Defence announced that Prince Harry had successfully qualified as an Apache aircraft commander.
In October 2013, Harry undertook his first official tour of Australia, attending the International Fleet Review at Sydney Harbour and visiting the Australian SAS HQ in Perth.
In December 2013, Harry joined Walking With The Wounded's 200-mile expedition to the South Pole in Antarctica, accompanying twelve injured servicemen and women.
In 2013 Harry met with Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who donated £50,000 to his charity Sentebale and £10,000 to Walking With The Wounded.
In 2013, Prince Harry completed his second tour of duty in Afghanistan after serving for twenty weeks with the Army Air Corps.
In 2013, Prince Harry was named as patron of the HALO Trust's 25th Anniversary Appeal, furthering his involvement with the organization that removes landmines left behind by war.
In January 2014, Prince Harry completed his attachment to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps and assumed the role of a staff officer, SO3 (Defence Engagement), in HQ London District. His responsibilities included coordinating significant projects and commemorative events involving the Army in London. He was based at Horse Guards in central London.
On March 6, 2014, Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for injured servicemen and women, which was held from 10–14 September 2014.
On April 29, 2014, Prince Harry met with British hopefuls for the Invictus Games at Tedworth House in Wiltshire to start the selection process.
On May 15, 2014, Prince Harry attended a ticket sale launch for the Invictus Games at BT Tower. He tweeted on the Invictus Games' official Twitter account as the president of the Games.
In August 2014, Prince Harry and officials attended the British Armed Forces Team announcement for the Invictus Games at Potters Field Park.
From September 8 to 14, 2014, as president of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry attended all events related to the Games.
On November 6, 2014, Harry opened the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, a task usually performed by Prince Philip.
In 2014 Harry met with Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who donated £50,000 to his charity Sentebale and £10,000 to Walking With The Wounded.
In 2014, Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games as a founding patron, inspired by the Warrior Games in the United States. He remains actively involved with the Invictus Games.
In January 2015, Prince Harry took on a new role supporting wounded service personnel by working alongside members of the London District's Personal Recovery Unit for the MOD's Defence Recovery Capability scheme to ensure that wounded personnel have adequate recovery plans. He also visited The Battle Back Centre and Fisher House UK at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
In March 2015, Prince Harry visited Phoenix House in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, a recovery centre run by Help for Heroes. He also visited Merville Barracks in Colchester.
In April 2015, before reporting for duty to the Australian Defence Force, Harry visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on April 6. He also joined his father in Turkey to attend commemorations of the centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign.
On April 6, 2015, Prince Harry reported for duty to Australia's Chief of the Defence Force at the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra, Australia. He flew to Darwin and began his month-long secondment to the ADF's 1st Brigade. His training included exercises with NORFORCE, an aviation unit, the Special Air Service Regiment, and the 2nd Commando Regiment.
On May 7, 2015, Harry made a farewell walkabout at the Sydney Opera House and visited Macquarie University Hospital.
On May 8, 2015, Prince Harry's attachment with the Australian Defence Force ended.
On June 19, 2015, Prince Harry resigned his short service commission from the army.
In October 2015, Harry launched the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 with First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden at Fort Belvoir. He also attended an Invictus Games board meeting and a reception at the British Ambassador's Residence.
In October 2015, as patron of Walk of Britain, Harry walked with the team on 30 September and 20 October.
In November 2015, Harry, as patron of Sentebale, traveled to Lesotho to attend the opening of the Mamohato Children's Centre.
From November 30 to December 3, 2015, Harry made an official visit to South Africa. He visited Cape Town, presented the insignia of the Order of the Companions of Honour to the Archbishop, and played the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, fundraising for Sentebale.
In 2015, Prince Harry ended his 10 year career in the army, which he would later describe as "the happiest times in my life" in 2021.
Harry visited Nepal from March 19–23, 2016. He stayed until the end of March 2016 to help rebuild a secondary school with Team Rubicon UK, and visited a Hydropower Project in Central Nepal.
In July 2016, Harry took an HIV test live on the royal family Facebook page on 14 July and later attended the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, on 21 July.
In January 2017, Prince Harry visited the Running Charity and its partner Depaul UK to highlight the role of sport in helping homeless and vulnerable people.
In April 2017, Prince Harry hosted the Landmine Free 2025 reception at Kensington Palace, where the UK government announced an increase in financial support for de-mining efforts. This event highlighted his commitment to removing landmines and supporting affected communities.
In December 2017, Harry guest edited BBC Radio 4's Today programme, conducting interviews with various figures on a range of social issues.
On December 19, 2017, Prince Harry succeeded his grandfather Prince Philip as the Captain General Royal Marines.
In April 2018, Harry was appointed Commonwealth youth ambassador. Also in that month, Harry became a patron of Walk of America, a campaign which brings together a number of veterans who will take part in a 1,000-mile expedition across the US in mid-2018. The Prince was appointed the president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, which focuses on projects involving children and welfare of prisoners, in April.
In July 2018, Harry and his wife Meghan travelled to Dublin, Ireland, marking their first overseas visit as a couple.
In July 2018, the Elton John AIDS Foundation announced the launch of a global coalition called MenStar by the Duke of Sussex and Elton John, focusing on treating HIV infections in men.
In August 2018, the Royal Canadian Legion granted Prince Harry the 2018 Founders Award for his role in founding the Invictus Games.
In October 2018, Prince Harry was presented with the RSA Badge in Gold, the organisation's highest honour, for his work with injured veterans.
In October 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Sydney, for the 2018 Invictus Games. This formed part of a Pacific tour that included Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
In February 2019, Harry and Meghan visited Morocco, focusing on projects related to women's empowerment, girls' education, inclusivity, and social entrepreneurship.
In April 2019, it was announced that Harry was working as co-creator and executive producer on a documentary series about mental health with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV+.
In May 2019, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, alongside Prince William and his wife, launched Shout, the UK's first 24/7 text messaging service to support individuals facing mental health challenges. The service provides immediate support for those in need.
In June 2019, Prince Harry was present at the launch of Made by Sport, a charity coalition set to raise money to boost sport in disadvantaged communities. He argued that bringing sport into the life of disadvantaged people would save "hundreds of millions of pounds" towards treating the issues among young people.
In June 2019, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would split from The Royal Foundation and establish their own charity foundation by the end of 2019, but would still collaborate with Prince William and his wife on projects such as Heads Together.
In September 2019, Harry and Meghan hired Sunshine Sachs, a New York-based PR firm, to represent them.
In September 2019, Prince Harry walked through a de-mining site in Angola, mirroring his mother Princess Diana's visit 22 years earlier. This act symbolized his ongoing commitment to landmine removal and support for affected communities.
In September 2019, during a visit to the Netherlands, Prince Harry launched Travalyst, an initiative developed over two years aimed "to encourage sustainable practices in the travel industry" and to tackle climate change and environmental damage, in collaboration with companies like Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Visa Inc.
In October 2019, Prince Harry, along with other members of the royal family, lent his voice to a Public Health England announcement for the "Every Mind Matters" mental health program, raising awareness and encouraging people to take care of their mental well-being.
In September and October 2019, Harry, Meghan and their infant son Archie undertook a Southern African tour, including Malawi, Angola, South Africa, and Botswana, marking their first official tour as a family.
In November 2019, to mark the National HIV Testing Week, the Duke interviewed HIV+ Rugby player Gareth Thomas on behalf of the Terrence Higgins Trust.
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals and moved to Southern California.
In February 2020, Prince Harry recorded a new version of the song "Unbroken" with Jon Bon Jovi, featuring backing vocals from members of the Invictus Choir, to support the Invictus Games Foundation.
On February 21, 2020, it was confirmed that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for Prince Harry and Meghan following their withdrawal from public life.
In March 2020, Harry attended the opening of the Silverstone Experience, his last solo engagement as a senior royal. On March 9, 2020, he and Meghan attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, their final engagement as a couple before officially stepping down on March 31.
In March 2020, Harry's position as Commonwealth youth ambassador, which he was appointed to in April 2018, came to an end.
On March 27, 2020, the new version of the song "Unbroken", recorded by Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi, featuring the Invictus Choir, was released, with proceeds donated to the Invictus Games Foundation.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's office was moved to Buckingham Palace and officially closed on March 31, 2020, when the Sussexes ceased "undertaking official engagements in support of the Queen".
In April 2020, Meghan and Harry confirmed their new foundation (in lieu of Sussex Royal) would be called "Archewell".
In April 2020, Prince Harry launched HeadFIT, a new initiative and platform designed to provide mental health support for members of the armed forces. It was developed jointly by the Royal Foundation's Heads Together campaign, the Ministry of Defence, and King's College London.
In June 2020, Harry and Meghan signed with the Harry Walker Agency for paid public speaking engagements.
In June 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex backed the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, encouraging CEOs of various companies to join the movement and take a stand against hate speech.
On August 5, 2020, the Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed "MWX Foundation" and dissolved the same day, marking the end of its formal existence.
In September 2020, the Sussexes signed a five-year private commercial deal with Netflix.
In October 2020, the website for Archewell, the foundation created by Meghan and Harry, was officially launched.
In February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry would give up his position as Captain General Royal Marines and hand back all the other honorary military appointments.
In February 2021, Harry stepped down from his position as the president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, a role he had held since April 2018.
In February 2021, Prince Harry's honorary military appointments were returned to Elizabeth II.
In March 2021, Harry became the Chief Impact Officer at BetterUp, a mental health start-up, and was also appointed as a commissioner for the Aspen Institute's Commission on Information Disorder.
In March 2021, the twelve-month review period for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's formal roles, which began when they stepped back as senior members of the royal family, came to an end.
In April 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan were announced as campaign chairs for Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, an event organised by Global Citizen to promote increased access to COVID-19 vaccinations. They also advocated for vaccine equity through a fundraiser and an open letter to pharmaceutical industry CEOs.
In May 2021, Prince Harry publicly lent his support to Peak State, a mental fitness programme aimed at providing tools and resources for managing mental health.
In July 2021, it was announced that Prince Harry was set to publish his memoir, 'Spare', via Penguin Random House, reportedly earning an advance of at least $20 million.
In September 2021, Prince Harry, together with First Lady Jill Biden, hosted a virtual event for the Warrior Games, which were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event aimed to honor and support wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans.
In October 2021, Prince Harry spoke out against oil drilling in the Okavango River in an op-ed for The Washington Post, advocating for environmental protection and sustainable practices.
In November 2021, Conservative politician Johnny Mercer announced that the Duke of Sussex supported their proposal to waive visa fees for foreign-born UK veterans and their families, viewing it as "morally right."
In February 2022, Harry and Meghan were selected to receive the NAACP's President's Award for their work on causes related to social justice and equity.
In March 2022, Prince Harry and his wife were among over a hundred individuals who signed an open letter published by the People's Vaccine Alliance, advocating for free global access to COVID-19 vaccines and criticizing the UK, EU, and Switzerland for opposing a waiver on vaccine intellectual property protections.
In April 2022, Prince Harry launched an eco-travel campaign through his non-profit Travalyst, encouraging sustainable travel practices. The campaign was launched in a video featuring Rhys Darby and Dave Fane on Māori Television.
In October 2022, Harry and Meghan were named as Ripple of Hope Award laureates for their work on racial justice, mental health, and other social initiatives through their foundation Archewell.
In January 2023, Prince Harry's memoir, 'Spare', was published, in which he revealed that he killed 25 Taliban members during his military service and that he did not view them as people, sparking backlash from the Taliban, British politicians, and military figures. Pen Farthing, a British former Royal Marines commando and founder of the Nowzad Dogs charity, was evacuated from Kabul on January 6, 2023, due to potential reprisal attacks.
On January 10, 2023, Prince Harry's memoir "Spare" was officially published in 16 languages, becoming the UK's fastest-selling non-fiction book with 400,000 confirmed sales on its publication day.
In June 2023, Spotify announced they would not proceed with the deal, cancelling Archetypes, which had run for a single season of 12 episodes.
In November 2023, Prince Harry was named global ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers, one of the seven charities that he and his wife had invited people to support in lieu of wedding presents.
In April 2024, it was announced that Archewell Productions is working with Netflix to produce two new shows – one on lifestyle and one on polo – for the streaming platform.
In December 2024, the Polo docuseries was released and was a critical and commercial disappointment.
In August 2025, Archewell Productions renewed its partnership with Netflix under a multi-year first-look deal, which included plans for other documentary and scripted projects.
In September 2025, Prince Harry announced that he had personally donated £1.1 million to BBC Children in Need in December 2024, describing it as a "significant investment" in grassroots organisations in Nottingham supporting young people affected by violence.
In April 2017, Prince Harry hosted the Landmine Free 2025 reception at Kensington Palace, during which the UK government announced an increase in its financial support for de-mining efforts with the goal to be reached in 2025.
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