Prince Harry Opens Up About the One Thing He Truly Misses From His Royal Life
Prince Harry lost his honorary military titles and patronages after stepping down as a working member of the Royal Family in early 2020.
Prince Harry served the nation for ten years and defied traditional royal expectations by serving on active duty rather than remaining a ceremonial figure. He engaged in high-stakes combat, earning the respect of his peers, who referred to him as 'Captain Harry Wales.' However, the sting of 'hanging up his uniform' has lasted with him ever since he stepped down as a working royal in 2020. Harry's latest interview, after being named among the 100 Most Influential People in Sport 2026 by Time, speaks volumes about what he has been aching about as an ex-royal.
“When you are wearing your nation's flag on your arm, on your chest, once that's removed, there's something that's missing,” he said during his exclusive interview with Time. Harry's has been a staunch military man, and his career began when he was commissioned into the Blues and Royals in 2006. His Iraq deployment was canceled in 2007. He was then discreetly deployed to Afghanistan as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller in 2007. However, the tenure was cut short after 10 weeks due to security concerns. From 2009 to 2013, he trained as an Apache co-pilot gunner, engaging in combat and claiming 25 enemy deaths. After a transition to a staff officer role and embedding with the Australian Defense Force, he retired in June 2015 as a Captain. His achievements during this period include the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan and the Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
However, this is not the only time he has spoken fondly about missing his homeland. Previously, the Duke of Sussex, in an essay titled "What it means to be British," had said he loves humor and self-deprecation about Britain in an essay for Remembrance. He added, "Though currently, I may live in the United States, Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for. The banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands, ridiculous as it sounds, these are the things that make us British. I make no apology for it. I love it."
During an exclusive interview with Time in 2015, Harry described his military service as an experience of a lifetime. “After a decade of service, moving on from the army has been a really tough decision,” he said. “I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do some very challenging jobs and have met many fantastic people in the process. The experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said. However, Harry lost his honorary military titles and patronages after stepping down as a working member of the Royal Family in early 2020. Although he retained his rank of Captain, he forfeited significant positions, such as Captain General of the Royal Marines and Honorary Air Force Commandant of RAF Honington.
