Prince Harry has perhaps been the one royal never to be afraid to show his vulnerabilities in public; having published his emotionally charged memoir Spare in 2023 and aired his grievances with his family through several TV interviews.
But last week, Harry’s emotions were on full display like never before when he broke down in tears in a London courtroom.
Continuing his legal case against a British newspaper, Harry, 41, had been visibly trying to hold back his emotions as he spoke about how the alleged intrusion into Meghan Markle’s private affairs had made his wife’s life ‘a misery’.
One reporter, who was in the courtroom at the time, revealed, ‘His face went red, he kind of bit his lip and his voice cracked a little bit as he said, ‘Look it’s got worse, not better… and that’s when he got choked up at the end.’
And with the court case expected to roll on for at least another eight weeks; we’re told that Harry’s courtroom tears were just the tip of the iceberg of the emotional storm that has been brewing over the past year.
A source says, ‘Harry is in a bad place right now, he’s acting, and feeling, like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He’s likely to be consumed by worry and feeling overwhelmed and there’s a growing feeling he’s like the human equivalent of a house of cards.
‘This case isn’t helping; it’s bringing up so much pain from the past, stuff he continues to deal with. It’s worth it to him because he genuinely believes he’s doing this for the greater good but there’s a lot at stake if he loses so the pressure is enormous, as well as the fact that with so many transatlantic phone calls, it’s just constant noise.’
Meanwhile, Harry has been keeping a relatively low profile in Montecito, where he has lived with Meghan, 44, and their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in 2020.
Harry has since praised the exclusive enclave and the US as ‘home’, but is reported to have felt increasingly homesick since his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis last January.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex after a boat trip during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023Meghan loves their Californian lifestyle – but Harry’s not so sure ©Getty Images
Meanwhile, we were recently told that Harry now hopes to negotiate ‘some kind of part-time royal life’ – a U-turn the source claimed has left Meghan ‘horrified’.
‘Meghan is absolutely horrified, she can’t fathom why he’d want to go backwards when they’re building this wonderful life together in California,’ the insider said.
‘It’s not as though he can’t still do his philanthropic work, so she doesn’t understand why he needs to be a part of an institution that she says treated them both so badly. They fought hard to pull themselves out of that environment and now he’s romanticising it all over again, it’s sickening for her.’
And now we’re told that this ‘tension’ with Meghan has only added more worries onto his already full plate. The source adds, ‘It’s no secret he’s fed up and feeling trapped in Montecito, but ever since he started to stick up for himself with Meghan it’s brought a heap of tension with her and this upcoming trip to the UK is weighing heavy on his soul.
‘Throw in the feud with his brother, his guilt and worry over his father, the fact he’s got very few friends in America, a ton of money worries and endless legal cases and it’s no wonder it’s taken its toll and he’s having a tough time.’
Meanwhile, Harry didn’t meet up with any of his family during his London trip last week, with it being widely reported that Charles wants to distance himself from the legal proceedings; with William and Kate Middleton visiting Scotland at the time.
Now, as he awaits the review of his right to police protection whilst visiting the UK, Harry is anticipated to be returning to the UK over the summer; a trip he reportedly hopes will continue the path to reconciliation following his September visit to see his father.
But the source tells us that not everyone behind palace walls will be welcoming Harry with open arms, including Queen Camilla, who he previously compared to an ‘evil stepmother’.
‘He thinks he has all these people behind Palace walls hell bent on keeping him out,’ the insider says.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London on July 1, 2021Harry’s feud with brother William has taken its toll on him ©Getty Images
‘It’s no secret Camilla is no fan; she’s been very openly against Harry getting a free pass, so to speak, as has William. Having his brother against him like that is very painful for Harry and the rage at his step-mother isn’t easy to cope with either, it’s very consuming and unhealthy.’
In Montecito, too, Harry appears to have become increasingly isolated, with his old UK friends seeming not to have visited him at all in the six years since he moved to the states.
And the source says their loyalty to his brother and the differing time zones have been the driving factors behind the distance between them.
They tell us, ‘Harry used to have this huge circle of friends but every year it seems to shrink. Most of his old pals back in the U.K. are close to William too, which has naturally created some awkwardness and even the ones that are siding with him have their own busy lives, they don’t have time for long distance calls on opposite time zones.
‘It’s very telling that none of them have made the trip to California to visit in all these years and Harry can’t help but take that to heart. He’s tried to make friends in Montecito but most of the people he and Meghan hang out with are her contacts. He gets along fine with them, but it’s not the same as having his lifelong friends around.’
And last week that hurt may only have worsened when a lawyer for the newspaper group Harry is attempting to sue put to him that his old UK social circle were a ‘good source of leaks.’
Now following Harry’s own previous admission that he has suffered panic attacks, paranoia and anxiety, the source says, ‘The anxiety has him on edge all the time, it’s wearing him down.
‘Meghan’s very worried about him. It’s obvious he’s suffering. And she’s not the only one concerned, there’s a real fear that if something doesn’t give soon, he could hit a breaking point.’
