The story of Prince Harry and Meghan has never been static. From the moment they stepped away from senior royal duties in 2020, their lives have been shaped by reinvention, scrutiny and an ongoing negotiation between privacy and public relevance. As 2025 draws to a close, the Prince Harry and Meghan latest news presents a picture of a couple firmly settled into a post-royal identity, while still deeply connected to the institution they left behind.
This year has brought rare family images, a major philanthropic rebrand, strategic media decisions, cautious royal contact, legal battles and moments of personal vulnerability. Together, these developments form the clearest picture yet of where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stand today.
From Palace Corridors to a Californian Life
Prince Harry, born Henry Charles Albert David on 15 September 1984, grew up inside the British royal system. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, his childhood unfolded between Kensington Palace and Highgrove House. While surrounded by privilege, his upbringing was heavily shaped by his mother’s insistence that her sons experience life beyond royal walls.
Diana took Harry and his older brother, Prince William, onto public transport, into fast-food restaurants and to charities supporting homeless people and hospital patients. Those early experiences planted values that would later define Harry’s work with veterans, mental health charities and humanitarian organisations.
The defining trauma of Harry’s childhood came in 1997, when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. At just 12 years old, Harry was thrust into a global moment of grief, walking behind his mother’s coffin under intense media attention. He has since described that experience as emotionally isolating, marking the beginning of a lifelong struggle with grief and public scrutiny.
Education, Australia and Finding Purpose Outside the Palace
Harry attended Wetherby School and Ludgrove School before completing his education at Eton College. Unlike many of his peers, he did not pursue university. Instead, he took a gap year that became formative.
During that period, Harry worked on a cattle station in Australia, an experience that introduced him to a more grounded, physically demanding lifestyle. He later travelled to Lesotho, where he worked with a children’s charity supporting young people affected by poverty and HIV/AIDS. Southern Africa would become a recurring presence in his life and charitable work.
These experiences shaped Harry’s decision to join the British Army, where he found structure, purpose and a sense of identity beyond his title.
Military Service and the Roots of the Invictus Games
Prince Harry served in the British Army for nearly a decade. He trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, was commissioned into the Blues and Royals regiment and later qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot.
He completed two deployments to Afghanistan, serving first as a forward air controller and later as a helicopter co-pilot gunner. Despite significant security concerns, Harry insisted on serving in active roles rather than ceremonial positions. He left the Army with the rank of Captain.
His military service directly inspired the creation of the Invictus Games, founded in 2014. The international sporting competition supports wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, using sport as a tool for rehabilitation and confidence. In 2025, Invictus remained Harry’s most respected global initiative, and the snowy photograph used on the Sussexes’ holiday card was taken during Invictus Games activities in Canada earlier in the year.
Royal Duty, Marriage and a Breaking Point
Before 2020, Harry was a senior working royal, carrying out engagements across the UK and overseas. His work focused on veterans’ welfare, mental health, youth development and conservation. Alongside Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, he was once seen as part of a modernising royal trio.
That dynamic shifted after Harry met Meghan Markle, an American actress. The couple married on 19 May 2018 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in a ceremony watched around the world. Initially celebrated as a symbol of change, the marriage soon became a focal point for intense media scrutiny, much of it directed at Meghan.
Harry later said that watching his wife face sustained press pressure triggered memories of his mother’s treatment by the media. Protecting his family became his overriding concern.
Stepping Away From Royal Life
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would step back from senior royal duties. They relinquished public funding and formal royal roles, first relocating to Canada and later settling permanently in Montecito, California.
The decision, often referred to as “Megxit”, was divisive. Supporters viewed it as an act of self-preservation; critics saw it as abandonment of duty. For Harry, it represented a line he felt he had to draw between institutional loyalty and personal wellbeing.
Building a Family Away From the Crown
Harry and Meghan are parents to two children: Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, born in 2019, and Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, born in 2021. Although both children hold royal titles, they are being raised largely outside the public eye.
In December 2025, Meghan shared a rare family photograph on Instagram with the message, “Happy Holidays! From our family to yours.” The image showed Archie hugging Harry while Lilibet held Meghan’s hand as they stood on a small wooden bridge in a woodland setting. As with all previous releases, the children’s faces were deliberately hidden.
This photograph became one of the most widely shared moments in Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest news, precisely because it balanced warmth with restraint.
Holiday Messaging and Royal Contrast
Alongside the family photograph, the Sussexes released a holiday card showing Harry and Meghan smiling together in the snow. The message read, “We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year.”
The wording stood in contrast to the Christmas cards released by King Charles III and the Prince and Princess of Wales, who used the traditional phrase “Happy Christmas”. William and Catherine’s card featured a family portrait surrounded by daffodils, while King Charles and Queen Camilla shared an image taken in Rome.
Australian media highlighted these contrasts as subtle but telling cultural signals rather than overt statements.
Archewell Rebranded: A Strategic Shift
One of the most significant developments in Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest news came with the announcement that the Archewell Foundation would be renamed Archewell Philanthropies.
Marking five years since their departure from royal duties, the Sussexes explained on the Archewell website that the new structure would allow them to “expand global philanthropic endeavours as a family”. The organisation adopted a fiscal sponsorship model, enabling broader collaboration while maintaining nonprofit status.
This was widely interpreted as a move away from a personal foundation model towards a more flexible, global philanthropic platform.
Year-End Charity Video and Family Involvement
The rebrand was accompanied by a nearly two-minute year-end video highlighting the couple’s charitable work. The footage showed Harry and Meghan volunteering with Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles during Thanksgiving, preparing food for people in need.
Archie and Lilibet appeared briefly in the video, helping push food trolleys and assist their parents. Their faces were again hidden, reinforcing the Sussexes’ consistent privacy policy.
Media Work and the Netflix Strategy
Harry and Meghan’s relationship with Netflix has evolved over time. After early success with the documentary Harry & Meghan, later lifestyle content attracted mixed reactions. Throughout 2025, reports circulated about pressure on the couple to deliver commercially viable projects.
In December, they confirmed a new Netflix production through Archewell Productions: an adaptation of The Wedding Date. Entertainment reporting framed this as a strategic shift towards scripted storytelling, positioning the Sussexes more clearly as producers rather than on-screen subjects.
Canada, Toronto and Quiet Public Engagements
Beyond media work, Harry continued low-key international engagements. Earlier in 2025, he made a discreet appearance in Toronto, speaking at a professional conference linked to the Ontario Real Estate Association. The visit attracted limited publicity but was noted by Australian outlets as an example of Harry maintaining global relevance outside royal or celebrity circuits.
Australia, Digital Safety and Global Advocacy
In late 2025, Harry and Meghan entered Australian public discourse by commenting on the country’s ban on social media use for under-16s. They described the policy as a positive step while cautioning that age limits alone would not resolve deeper online harms.
The statement aligned with their ongoing advocacy around mental health, child safety and digital responsibility and was widely reported across Australian news platforms.
A Brief Royal Reunion and Christmas Apart
Earlier in the year, Prince Harry reportedly met privately with King Charles III during a brief visit. The meeting was described as cordial but did not signal reconciliation.
By December, it was confirmed that Harry and Meghan would spend Christmas in Montecito with their children rather than in the UK. Australian media described the situation as a “thaw without reunion”.
Meghan and Her Estranged Father
Another personal element in late-2025 reporting involved Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle. Media outlets reported that Meghan attempted to reach out privately during a period of hospitalisation. While details remained limited, the development added another layer to the complex family dynamics surrounding the couple.
Polo, Injury and Public Life
Prince Harry also made headlines after sustaining a minor hand injury while playing polo in Aspen. Reports noted that he continued playing despite the injury, a small but human detail that entered the broader stream of Prince Harry and Meghan latest news.
Legal Battles and the Press
Harry’s legal actions against British tabloids remain ongoing. He continues to allege unlawful information gathering and privacy breaches, arguing that press behaviour has caused lasting harm to his mental health and family life. These cases remain unresolved but are central to his public stance on media accountability.
Money, Independence and the Cost of Freedom
There is no officially confirmed figure for the Sussexes’ net worth. Income is understood to come from media contracts, publishing, speaking engagements and private arrangements. Financial details remain private, consistent with their separation from public royal funding.
Conclusion: Where the Sussexes Stand Now
As 2025 ends, Prince Harry and Meghan latest news reveals a couple settled into independence but still defined by the shadow of monarchy. Through selective family visibility, a major philanthropic restructure, strategic media choices and cautious royal distance, they continue to shape a life beyond the crown.
Their story remains complex, polarising and unfinished. What is clear is that Harry and Meghan are no longer reacting to royal life; they are actively building something else, on their own terms, under the same global spotlight that has followed them since birth.
FAQs
What serious illness does Meghan Markle have?
There is no verified public information confirming that Meghan Markle has any serious illness. She has not disclosed any chronic or life-threatening medical condition, and no credible source has reported one.
What did Harry whisper to the Queen after she died?
There is no verified report of Prince Harry whispering anything to Queen Elizabeth II after her death. Claims about specific words are speculative and unproven, as no such moment was publicly recorded or confirmed.
Did Prince Harry have a third child with Meghan?
No. Prince Harry and Meghan have two children only: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Reports suggesting a third child are false and unsupported by any credible source.
Is Lilibet Harry’s baby?
Yes. Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is the biological daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. She was born on 4 June 2021 in California.
Why did Kim Kardashian delete Meghan Markle’s photo?
There is no verified evidence that Kim Kardashian deleted a photo of Meghan Markle for any specific reason. Claims circulating online are rumour-based and have not been confirmed by Kim Kardashian or her representatives.
What does Prince Harry call Camilla?
Prince Harry has publicly referred to Queen Camilla as “Camilla” and has criticised her actions in the past, particularly in relation to media briefings. However, he has not confirmed a private nickname used in personal settings.
Did Harry know the Queen was dying?
Prince Harry has acknowledged that he was aware Queen Elizabeth II’s health was declining, but there is no confirmation that he knew she would die on the day she passed away. He arrived in the UK shortly after her death.
Did the Queen refuse a picture with Lilibet?
There is no verified evidence that Queen Elizabeth II refused to take a photo with Lilibet. Reports on this matter are conflicting and unconfirmed, and no official statement has been issued by the Palace or the Sussexes.
