Prince Harry grapples with 'regrets' as Meghan Markle's star rises five years after royal exit: experts

It’s been five years since Prince Harry left his home country – and after explosive tell-alls and pleas to heal a family feud, experts say the British prince is still struggling to find his way.

"[Harry] is in exile," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital. "Undoubtedly, he has some regrets. He appears to have lost touch with many of his friends and, of course, there is the royal rift."

"In recent months, it has been [his wife] Meghan [Markle] who has fronted things," he said. "Her launch of lifestyle products has been backed by Netflix… Harry has picked up a couple of awards, but the fact that 76,000 signed a petition when he received the Pat Tillman Award was a warning that many Americans view the couple with disdain."

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend an athletics event during the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022, in The Hague, Netherlands. The Invictus Games, a sporting competition for "wounded, ill, and injured Service members," is Harry's passion project. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)

Fitzwilliams’ comments came shortly after royal historian Marlene Koenig told Us Weekly that it had been a "struggle" for Harry, 40, to find a meaningful role for himself in the U.S. using his royal title while "trying to be a breadwinner" for his family.

Meghan and Harry are raising their two young children in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share two children: Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

"He was always expected to play a supportive but not a supporting role," Koenig told the outlet. "He may be comfortable in his California home with his wife and two adorable children, but what he hasn’t found yet is the comfort of success outside [of] home."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex call Montecito, California home. (VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment.

"Prince Harry’s life is characterized by frustration, lack of clear achievement and his persistent struggle to carve out anything either lucrative or fulfilling," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.

Some of Meghan Markle's As Ever products were featured in "With Love, Meghan" on Netflix. (Netflix)

She claimed that Harry has been yearning to secure a prominent role in California while Meghan’s lifestyle empire, As Ever, continues to grow.

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Meghan Markle's lifestyle series, "With Love, Meghan," premiered in March. (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix © 2025)

"Nothing he has done has delivered any long-term satisfaction, independence, or been met with any universal support, or he would have stuck with it. His popularity has plummeted in the polls on both sides of the Atlantic."

"Those who know him report he’s homesick and feels out of place in California," Fordwich claimed. "His social circle in California is limited further, making him miss his old friends, who avoid visiting him, as well as his military connections."

Prince Harry told the BBC that he loves his country and would love to show his young children his homeland. However, he now only returns for funerals and court cases. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen VAX LIVE)

Royal commentator Amanda Matta told Us Weekly that while Harry "doesn’t appear to regret" making his royal exit, there is "frustration" about the events that unfolded after he left, and how his relationships with several royal family members "deteriorated." Meanwhile, Meghan appears to be "focused" on her "ventures and identity outside the royal bubble."

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace.

Since the couple settled in California, they’ve aired their grievances in interviews, documentaries, as well as Harry’s 2023 memoir "Spare." The book, in which he laid bare embarrassing details about the House of Windsor, significantly worsened his relationship with the royal family.

An Italian version of "Spare" is seen here with a photo of a young Prince Harry and his late mother, Princess Diana.  (Vincenzo Izzo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"Almost all of Harry's achievements, such as Invictus, Sentebale - though he has now stepped down from the board – and WellChild, were before he married Meghan," Fitzwilliams explained. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the volleyball match between Poland and Germany at the Merkur Spiel-Arena during Day 6 of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023, in Duesseldorf, Germany. Prince Harry was celebrating his 39th birthday. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

"The Invictus Games are undoubtedly remarkable and may lead to a form of royal reconciliation. [But] his most publicized activities with Meghan have been their 2021 interview with Oprah, the Netflix docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’ in 2022 and his memoir ‘Spare,’ all of which did considerable damage to the royal family."

"There is no doubt he and Meghan appear happy bringing up their two children in Montecito," Fitzwilliams shared. "[But] Harry’s 2023 ‘Heart of Invictus’ and 2024’s ‘Polo’ for Netflix were not widely watched. His appearance in Meghan’s [‘Baby Mama Dance’] video looked so second-rate.

The Duke of Sussex watching the sitting volleyball final at Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC), at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. (Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

"His recent outburst over security on the BBC shows he can be edgy and impetuous. Had he and Meghan remained senior royals, though there were undoubtedly deep stresses, they would have had a role in soft power and affecting world events."

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Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in 2022. (Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

Harry’s relationship with his older brother Prince William is said to be nonexistent. Koenig told Us Weekly that the siblings are "separated by more than an ocean" as William, 43, prepares to be king one day. The heir to the British throne has been supporting their father, King Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year.

"One brother has found his role and knows what he has to do to prepare for his future," Koenig told the outlet. "The other brother has yet to find the right balance for a successful career away from what he was raised to be."

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the Order of the Garter service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on June 16, 2025, in Windsor, England.  (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard is adamant that Harry "has taken his eye off the ball."

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the Mountbatten Music Festival at Royal Albert Hall on March 7, 2020, in London, England. Shortly after, they moved to California. (Simon Dawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

"He has spent five-plus years embroiled in legal and family upsets," Chard told Fox News Digital. "There are consequences for his battles. He needs to rebuild his reputation and concentrate on purposely moving forward."

"Rather than spending time monitoring his charity endeavors and building a successful brand… he chose to fight like a dog with a bone for everything he believed he was entitled to," Chard claimed. 

Prince Harry, seen here with Meghan Markle during the Invictus Games, has met with his father, King Charles III, once briefly since the monarch's cancer diagnosis early last year. (Photo by Joshua Sammer/Getty Images for Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023)

"I’m sure Harry is regretful that he has given so much time to angry battles. He loves his wife and children and is passionate about supporting injured veterans. It’s time for him to keep his head down and excel in all that he loves."

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Prince Harry told the BBC that his father, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, won't speak to him. (HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

In an interview with the BBC in May, after losing a court case over his security, Harry admitted that he would love to reconcile with his father, but that the monarch, 76, wouldn’t speak to him.

"I would love reconciliation with my family," he said at the time. "There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much longer my father has."

Meghan Markle made her Netflix comeback with a lifestyle series that paints a rosy picture of domestic life. In "With Love, Meghan," the Duchess of Sussex is seen cooking, baking and arranging flowers. (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Meghan appears to be flourishing in her home state as an entrepreneur. The former American actress, who launched her brand earlier this year, has seen her products sell out in under an hour. Her limited-edition wildflower honey sold out in under 15 minutes. 

The "Suits" alum’s first rosé also sold out in under an hour after it became available for purchase on July 1.

As Ever's 2023 Napa Valley rosé sold out in under an hour. (As Ever)

The Duchess of Sussex previously ran a lifestyle blog, "The Tig," whose name was inspired by Tignanello wine.

New episodes of Meghan’s lifestyle series, "With Love, Meghan," will be available for streaming in the fall. She also recently wrapped the first season of her Lemonada podcast, "Confessions of a Female Founder," to focus on her lifestyle business.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks onstage during the 2025 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2025, in New York City.  (Jemel Countess/Getty Images for TIME)

Back in 2024, Roya Nikkhah, royals editor for The Sunday Times and co-host of the podcast "The Royals with Roya and Kate," claimed to Fox News Digital that the Duke of Sussex has been doing "a fair amount of looking back."

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Prince Harry lost a court battle over his publicly funded security. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

"He loves his family life out in the States," said Nikkhah at the time. "He’s thrilled to be a dad… I suppose for him, it’s just finding a role, a really meaningful role going forward… The Invictus Games are fantastic, and he does great work there and that will continue. But I think for him going forward, it’s… [finding] a meaningful role for himself living out in the States on the global stage."

"Being a humanitarian is what he says he wants to be," Nikkhah continued. "I think that’s what he will probably look to focus on for the next few years – how he builds that profile as a humanitarian."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak on stage at Global Citizen Live: New York on September 25, 2021, in New York City. Royal insiders said that the Duke of Sussex wants to be recognized as a humanitarian, not a celebrity. (Gotham/WireImage/Getty Images)

Those close to Harry told Nikkhah that he seems torn "between battling old demons and getting on with his life."

Prince Harry has reportedly spent his time "looking back." (Victoria Jones/Getty Images)

"All he does is spend time looking back," one former adviser to Harry told Nikkhah. "If only he could wrench his neck around and look forward."

Nikkhah told Fox News Digital that the possibility of Harry having a partial role as a working royal has long been nixed.

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"I don’t see that happening at all," she explained. "I don’t think it’s wanted by him, and it’s certainly not wanted by the royal family. And the whole point of [the Duke and Duchess of Sussex] leaving was that… the late queen agreed you can’t be half in, half out."

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are seen on April 23, 2025, in New York City. (Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images)

"I just don’t get the sense from Harry or anyone around him that that’s what he wants," she shared. "I don’t think he wants to be back in the U.K. doing official royal duties. Would he sometimes like to maybe join the family at events? Possibly, but I don’t think there’s any desire on either side for him to come back to do royal duties again."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.