Prince Harry was allegedly left off the guest list for an exclusive masked ball at London’s trendy Chiltern Firehouse, despite being in the city for a string of high-profile events. The Duke of Sussex attended the WellChild Awards and was in town when news broke of his cousin Princess Beatrice’s second pregnancy with husband Edoardo Mapelli.
However, a source claimed that Harry didn’t make the cut for the Firehouse’s 10th-anniversary bash, allegedly due to a strict no-plus-ones policy and the fact that he’s “not one of our crowd”.
The “snub” comes as Harry faces mounting pressure on both sides of the Atlantic, with he and his wife Meghan Markle struggling to regain momentum in 2024 after a rocky 2023.
With Harry increasingly embarking on solo trips, including recent visits to New York and the UK, speculation is growing that the prince is feeling homesick in California and may be attempting to distance himself from the Hollywood elite in a bid to rebuild his reputation and mend ties with senior royals.
Commentator Tom Sykes, speaking to The Times, has revealed that sources indicate Prince Harry is keen to “leave behind…celebrity nonsense” in a bid to salvage his reputation.
Sykes elaborated: “Speaking to sources close to Harry, it’s quite clear that he wants to leave behind the celebrity nonsense…recover his reputation as an honest dealer and become known as a serious philanthropic player.”
He added: “However, it’s going to be incredibly difficult, nigh on impossible, to transform back into a credible quasi-royal unless he reconciles with the crown.”, reports the Express.
Sykes also noted: “Unless Harry can switch the narrative away from the kind of tit-for-tat melodrama we’ve seen this month, he may never be able to find his way back.”
Contrary to expectations, Prince Harry is not set to return to America immediately. Instead, he’s reportedly heading to Lesotho, Africa, to support Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Prince Seeiso, aiming to elevate its profile.
Reflecting on the charity’s journey and future, Prince Harry previously stated: “As we head towards our 20th anniversary, our ambition has grown, giving us the confidence to bring our skills and experience in designing solutions with young people, and to leveraging our convening power to engage with leading regional players and global funders so we can add Sentebale’s voice to addressing the challenges faced by the next generation in southern Africa.”
Dr Sophi Chandauka, Chairwoman of Sentebale, remarked on Harry’s return to Africa as “marks a milestone as we collaborate with world-class organisations and local leadership to engage this critical youth cohort”.
She further commented: “Together, we aim to accelerate digital and economic inclusion, addressing the low levels of access and literacy, which are crucial for young people’s participation in the global economy and for achieving Sentebale’s goals in health, wealth creation and climate resilience.”