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, the younger son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He holds the position of fifth in the line of succession to the British throne. Known for his military service and philanthropic endeavors, Prince Harry has increasingly stepped away from royal duties. He and his wife, Meghan Markle, now reside in the United States, pursuing independent ventures through their organization Archewell, focusing on various charitable and media projects.
Prince Harry faces potential estrangement from Prince William amid intensifying anti-Sussex sentiment. King Charles remains silent as familial tensions escalate. William made a gesture to avoid humiliating Harry and Meghan.
In September 2004, Prince Harry passed the Regular Commissions Board (RCB).
In 2004 Harry first toured Mants'ase Children's Home near Mohale's Hoek in Lesotho.
On May 8, 2005, Prince Harry entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, known as Officer Cadet Wales.
In April 2006, Prince Harry completed his officer training and was commissioned as a Cornet in the Blues and Royals.
In October 2006, Prince Harry completed the Troop Leaders' Course and rejoined his regiment in Windsor.
Between 2006 and 2019, Prince Harry completed 1,190 engagements.
In 2006, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho launched Sentebale: The Princes' Fund for Lesotho, a charity to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
In 2007, Prince Harry and Prince William organised the Concert for Diana, in memory of their mother, which benefited the charities and patronages of Diana, William, and Harry.
In 2007, Prince Harry was first deployed on active duty to Afghanistan for ten weeks in Helmand Province.
On April 13, 2008, Prince Harry was promoted to lieutenant in the British Army.
In May 2008, Princess Anne presented Prince Harry with an Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan at the Combermere Barracks for his service in Afghanistan.
In October 2008, Prince Harry and Prince William 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 learn to fly military helicopters at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury.
In 2007-2008, Prince Harry served for ten weeks in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
On January 6, 2009, Queen Elizabeth II granted Prince Harry and Prince William their own royal household, separate from their father's office at Clarence House, to manage their public, military, and charitable activities from St James's Palace.
In February 2009, Prince Harry initially failed his pilot's theory test.
In September 2009, Prince Harry and Prince William set up The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry to enable them to take forward their charitable ambitions.
On May 7, 2010, Prince Charles presented Prince Harry with his flying brevet at a ceremony at the Army Air Corps Base, Middle Wallop.
In December 2010, the German charity Ein Herz für Kinder awarded Harry the Golden Heart Award, in recognition of his "charitable and humanitarian efforts".
In 2010, Prince Harry served as the RFU's vice-royal patron since supporting the Queen as patron.
In April 2011, Prince Harry was awarded his Apache Flying Badge on April 14, and on April 16, he was promoted to captain.
In June 2011, Clarence House announced that Prince Harry would be available for deployment in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot.
In 2011, Prince Harry took part in an unfinished trip to the North Pole with Walking With The Wounded.
In March 2012, Prince Harry led an official visit to Belize as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He then continued to the Bahamas and Jamaica, where the Prime Minister was considering turning Jamaica into a republic. Then he visited Brazil to attend the GREAT Campaign.
In May 2012, Prince Harry played tambourine and took part in the music video for the song "Sing", which was released to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.
On May 7, 2012, the Atlantic Council awarded Harry its Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership Award.
On September 7, 2012, Prince Harry arrived at Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan as part of the 662 Squadron, Army Air Corps, for a four-month combat tour.
In 2012, Prince Harry was deployed for twenty weeks to Afghanistan with the Army Air Corps.
On January 21, 2013, it was announced that Prince Harry was returning from a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan.
Between May 9 and 15, 2013, Prince Harry made an official visit to the United States to promote the rehabilitation of injured troops, publicise his charities, and support British interests. He visited Washington, DC, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and met survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.
On July 8, 2013, the Ministry of Defence announced that Prince Harry had successfully qualified as an Apache aircraft commander.
In December 2013, Prince Harry joined Walking With The Wounded charity's 200-mile expedition to the South Pole in Antarctica, accompanying twelve injured servicemen and women from the UK, the US and the Commonwealth.
In 2012-2013, Prince Harry served for twenty weeks in Afghanistan with the Army Air Corps.
In January 2014, it was announced that Prince Harry completed his attachment to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. He then took up a staff officer role, SO3 (Defence Engagement) in HQ London District. His responsibilities included coordinating significant projects and commemorative events involving the Army in London, and 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.
On April 29, 2014, Prince Harry met British hopefuls for the Invictus Games at Tedworth House in Wiltshire for the start of the selection process.
On May 15, 2014, Prince Harry attended a ticket sale launch for the Invictus Games at BT Tower. He also 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.
The Invictus Games, launched by Prince Harry, took place from September 10–14, 2014.
On November 6, 2014, Prince Harry opened the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, a task typically performed by Prince Philip.
In 2014, Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games as founding patron, inspired by the Warrior Games in the United States, and remains involved.
In January 2015, it was reported that Prince Harry would take 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. 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, and Merville Barracks in Colchester, where Chavasse VC House Personnel Recovery Centre is located.
On March 17, 2015, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry would leave the Armed Forces in June. He would spend four weeks throughout April and May seconded to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
In April 2015, Prince Harry visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra before reporting for duty to the Australian Defence Force (ADF). 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 then flew to Darwin to begin his month-long secondment to the ADF's 1st Brigade, training with various units including NORFORCE and the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).
On May 8, 2015, Prince Harry's attachment with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) ended.
On June 19, 2015, Prince Harry resigned his short service commission.
In October 2015, Prince 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 launch reception.
In October 2015, as patron of Walk of Britain, Prince Harry walked with the team on 30 September and 20 October.
In November 2015, Prince Harry, as patron of Sentebale, travelled to Lesotho to attend the opening of the Mamohato Children's Centre.
From November 30 to December 3, 2015, Prince Harry made an official visit to South Africa. He visited Cape Town, where he presented the insignia of the Order of the Companions of Honour to the Archbishop. Harry also played the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, fundraising for Sentebale.
In July 2016, Prince Harry took an HIV test live on the royal family Facebook page on 14 July. He 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 increased financial support for de-mining efforts.
In December 2017, Prince Harry guest edited BBC Radio 4's Today programme, conducting interviews on various issues. On 27 December 2017, he was officially appointed the new president of African Parks.
On December 19, 2017, Prince Harry succeeded his grandfather Prince Philip as the Captain General Royal Marines.
In April 2018, Prince Harry was appointed Commonwealth youth ambassador and became a patron of Walk of America, supporting veterans in a 1,000-mile expedition across the US. He also became the president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust.
In July 2018, Prince Harry travelled to Dublin, Ireland, alongside his wife Meghan, which marked their first overseas visit as a couple.
In July 2018, the Elton John AIDS Foundation announced that The Duke of Sussex and British singer Elton John were about to launch a global coalition called MenStar that would focus "on treating HIV infections in men".
In August 2018, the Royal Canadian Legion granted Harry the 2018 Founders Award for his role in founding the Invictus Games.
In October 2018, 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 as part of a Pacific tour that included Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
In April 2019, it was announced that Prince Harry was working as co-creator and executive producer on a documentary series about mental health together with Oprah Winfrey, which was initially set to air in 2020 on Apple TV+.
In May 2019, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, launched Shout, which is the UK's first 24/7 text messaging service for those who suffer from mental health issues.
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.
Prince Harry left The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry charity in June 2019.
In September 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan hired New York-based PR firm Sunshine Sachs.
In September 2019, Prince Harry walked through a de-mining site in Angola, mirroring his mother's visit 22 years prior, to raise awareness for landmine removal.
In September 2019, The Duke of Sussex launched Travalyst during his visit to the Netherlands after two years of development. The initiative encourages sustainable practices in the travel industry and tackles climate change and environmental damage, in collaboration with a number of companies, including Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Visa Inc.
In October 2019, along with other members of the royal family, Harry voiced a Public Health England announcement for the "Every Mind Matters" mental health program.
In September and October 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan embarked on a Southern African tour including Malawi, Angola, South Africa and Botswana with their infant son Archie. Prince Harry visited the Born Free to Shine project in Luanda and Luengue-Luiana National Park.
In November 2019, to mark the National HIV Testing Week, The Duke of Sussex interviewed HIV+ Rugby player Gareth Thomas on behalf of the Terrence Higgins Trust.
In 2019, Prince Harry presented the trophy at rugby league's Challenge Cup finals.
Before announcing their decision to step back in January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan were involved in talks with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the founder of Quibi, over a possible role in the service without gaining personal profits, but they eventually decided against joining the project.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to Southern California.
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family and balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America, becoming financially independent and ceasing to represent the Queen.
On 18 January 2020, Buckingham Palace announced that, following their decision to step back from royal duties, from 31 March 2020 the Duke and Duchess would not use their Royal Highness styles in practice or publicly.
On January 18, 2020, Buckingham Palace announced an agreement for Prince Harry "to step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments".
In February 2020, Prince Harry recorded a new version of the song "Unbroken" with Jon Bon Jovi, featuring backing vocals from the Invictus Choir. The proceeds were donated to the Invictus Games Foundation.
On February 21, 2020, it was confirmed that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for the couple following their withdrawal from public life.
As of March 31, 2020, following their decision to step back from royal duties, the Duke and Duchess would no longer use their Royal Highness styles in practice or publicly.
In March 2020, Prince Harry attended the opening of the Silverstone Experience with Lewis Hamilton, his final solo engagement as a senior royal, and he and Meghan attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, their last engagement as a couple before officially stepping down on March 31.
In March 2020, Prince Harry's position as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador ended.
On March 27, 2020, the new version of the song "Unbroken" recorded by Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi was released. Proceeds from the song were donated to the Invictus Games Foundation.
On March 31, 2020, the Sussexes' office was moved to Buckingham Palace and officially closed 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 platform designed to provide mental 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, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed with the Harry Walker Agency to conduct paid public speaking engagements.
In June 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex supported the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, encouraging CEOs to join the movement.
On August 5, 2020, the Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed "MWX Foundation" and dissolved the same day.
In September 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a private commercial deal with Netflix.
In October 2020, the Archewell website was officially launched.
Beginning in early 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan incorporated 11 companies and a trust including Orinoco Publishing LLC and Peca Publishing LLC to hold the rights for their books as well as Cobblestone Lane LLC and IPHW LLC which are holders of their foundation's logos.
In February 2021, Harry's honorary military appointments were returned to Elizabeth II.
In February 2021, the Palace confirmed that Prince Harry would give up his position as Captain General Royal Marines and hand back all other honorary military appointments.
Prince Harry remained the charity's president until February 2021.
In March 2021, Prince Harry became the first chief impact officer at BetterUp, a mental health start-up, and was appointed as a commissioner for the Aspen Institute's Commission on Information Disorder.
In March 2021, the formal role of the Duke and Duchess was subject to a twelve-month review period.
In April 2021, Harry and Meghan were announced as campaign chairs for Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, organized by Global Citizen, to promote COVID-19 vaccinations. They also supported a vaccine equity fundraiser and urged pharmaceutical CEOs to address the vaccine equity crisis.
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 May 2021, it was announced that the documentary series 'The Me You Can't See', co-created and executive produced by Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey, would be released on 21 May on Apple TV+.
In June 2021, Prince Harry issued a statement condemning the attack on a HALO Trust mine clearance camp in Afghanistan, where ten members were killed, calling it "an act of barbarism".
In July 2021, Harry and Meghan were selected by UK-based charity Population Matters to receive the Change Champions Award for their decision to have only two children and help with maintaining a smaller and more sustainable population.
In July 2021, it was announced that Prince Harry was set to publish his memoir Spare via Penguin Random House, with Harry reportedly earning an advance of at least $20 million.
In September 2021, Prince Harry, along with First Lady Jill Biden, hosted a virtual event for the Warrior Games after it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan announced their partnership with Ethic, a sustainable investment firm based in New York City, which also manages the couple's investments.
In October 2021, Prince Harry spoke out against oil drilling in the Okavango River in an op-ed for The Washington Post.
In November 2021, the Aspen Institute's Commission on Information Disorder published its report with 15 recommendations, with Prince Harry acting as commissioner.
In 2021, Prince Harry stepped down from the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
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 those who signed an open letter published by the People's Vaccine Alliance, advocating for free global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
In April 2022, Prince Harry launched an eco-travel campaign through his non-profit Travalyst, encouraging sustainable travel, in a video featuring Rhys Darby and Dave Fane on Māori Television.
In April 2022, reports emerged of criticism by BetterUp's coaches over the new metrics placed for evaluating their services and over the opacity surrounding Prince Harry's actual role in the firm, where he is the Chief Impact Officer.
In June 2022, Prince Harry and Meghan made their first official appearance in the UK since stepping down, attending the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving.
In September 2022, The Sussexes visited the UK and Germany for charity events. On September 8, 2022, while they were in London, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and they remained in the United Kingdom for her funeral.
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.
On December 8, 2022, Harry & Meghan, a docuseries about The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, produced by Netflix and the couple's Archewell Productions and directed by Liz Garbus, premiered on Netflix. The series received mixed reviews.
In 2022, Sunshine Sachs stopped representing The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In January 2023, Prince Harry's memoir "Spare" was published, revealing he killed 25 Taliban members during his military service. He expressed feeling trained to dehumanize them, viewing them as "chess pieces". The revelations led to security concerns and backlash from the Taliban and British figures.
On 10 January 2023, Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' was officially published in 16 languages, becoming the UK's fastest-selling non-fiction book. Harry pledged $1.5 million to Sentebale and £300,000 to WellChild.
In November 2023, Prince Harry was named global ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers, one of the seven charities he and his wife had invited people to support in lieu of wedding presents.
In 2023, Prince Harry was appointed a member of the board of directors of African Parks, after holding the position of president since 2017.
In April 2024, it was announced that Archewell Productions is working with Netflix to produce two new shows – on lifestyle and on polo – for the streaming platform.
Following Harry and Meghan's trip to Nigeria in May 2024, it was suggested that the couple could have been used by the royal family. Harry's role as founder of Travalyst was recognized in the second edition of the Time Climate 100 list.
In March 2025, Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho resigned from their roles as patrons of Sentebale following a dispute between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka.
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