A friend of Prince Harry has claimed that the Duke of Sussex is ‘an angry boy’ who is desperate to be ‘admired more’ , leading to one royal expert to suggest this may be ‘frustrating’ his wife Meghan Markle

As Prince Harry’s 40th birthday approaches in a few weeks, an old friend of the Royal has suggested that the Duke spends most of his time reminiscing about the past and yearning for the love and admiration he received from the British public before stepping back from Royal duties in 2020.

“He’s an angry boy. Things haven’t turned out how he wanted,” the source revealed to The Times. “I think he misses being over here [in Britain] desperately and wants to be admired more. Anyone who knows him feels he’d rather be top of the pops here with everyone loving him, as they do with William and Kate.”

This quiet longing for his previous life is said to be “frustrating” for his wife Meghan Markle, who encourages him to focus on their future with their two children, instead of dwelling on the past.

Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK!: “If Meghan is encouraging Harry to leave the past behind and move on, then I think it is a healthy move. They have made their decision, left the working royal family and left the UK.”

The Duke and Duchess made the tough choice to step back from Royal life in 2020, relocating to California to raise their son Prince Archie, and later welcoming a daughter, Princess Lilibet. Fast forward four years and earlier this year, the Prince confirmed that he is now officially a US resident, reports the Express.

“He says he now regards the USA as home – at least for the time being,” Jennie continues. “Brooding on the perceived injustices of the past and re-living old quarrels is a waste of a life, and I think Meghan sees that.”

However, Jennie also offered some insight into why it might be “easier” for Meghan to look towards the future, given her lack of long-standing ties with the Royal family, unlike Harry.

“And that’s probably quite frustrating for Meghan…who seems to be at ease with estrangement from her own family. I don’t think Harry spends ‘all’ his time looking back….but the Harry I knew as a young boy was someone who enjoyed fooling around with his family and having fun with them.”

Harry’s relationship with his family, particularly his brother Prince William and father King Charles, has become increasingly tense in recent years following a series of shocking revelations and claims made in his explosive memoir Spare.

The book also sees Prince Harry reminiscing about happier times with his family, hinting at a poignant sense of melancholy for the events that have unfolded. Despite this, the Duke of Sussex has previously expressed his wish to mend bridges with his family, especially following the cancer diagnoses of his father and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, earlier this year.