His circle of cousins is no longer captured in his presence, and in September, it will mark three years since the late Queen’s funeral and the last occasion the Duke of Sussex was seen with anyone familiar with the Buckingham Palace Wi-Fi password.

Yet, you could refer to it as royalty. That is determined by service. Through unwavering effort and by assisting the less fortunate with an indomitable, tireless spirit reminiscent of the Blitz era. Harry is widely regarded as a man who truly cares, having dedicated two decades to his philanthropic organizations.

Regrettably, he has encountered disputes and difficulties in this area.

In late March, he and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stepped down from their charity, Sentebale, along with the entire board, due to a disagreement with the chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka. She subsequently accused Harry and the organization of “large-scale bullying and harassment.” The Charity Commission in the UK is conducting an investigation, and Harry has expressed his ‘heartbreak’ regarding the matter.

In May, the charity African Parks, with which Harry has been associated since 2016, admitted that rangers hired by the group had perpetrated “human rights violations” against native people in the Congo.

He has maintained these longstanding connections, including discussing mental health at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit in December, endorsing The Diana Awards in Las Vegas in May, and traveling over 10,000km to deliver a speech on his sustainable travel initiative Travelyst at a summit in China that same month.

None of it truly succeeded in creating any significant impact or was especially recognized by the broader world.

The bright highlight in the duke’s charitable efforts is the Invictus Games, the athletic competition for injured active-duty and former military members that exemplifies ‘life-altering’.

The continuous success of the Games showcases what Harry is capable of – yet since arriving in the States in 2020 and figuring out how to mispronounce ‘tomato’, he hasn’t initiated or accomplished anything that remotely compares to this.

Unlike previous years, the Sussexes have not embarked on any DIY ‘royal’ oversight tours, instead visiting Nigeria and Colombia in 2024.

Harry also does not seem to be a paid employee these days. There are currently no podcasts, books, TV shows, documentaries, movies, or even his own line of ducally-approved creatine in the works.

I guess there’s always observing birds. His nation may not desire him anymore, but the Dusky Warbler? Why not?

Daniela Elser is a commentator, editor, and writer with over 15 years of experience collaborating with several of Australia’s top media outlets.