Prince Harry reveals his thoughts on turning 40 and how Duke plans to celebrate his birthday with family and inner circle
Prince Harry has said he is ‘excited’ to be turning 40 this weekend and will be celebrating with family and friends, as he reflects on his ‘anxious’ 30s, which were marked by family feuds and the fact that he and his wife Meghan left the UK.
The Duke of Sussex, who reaches the milestone on Sunday, will mark the occasion with a low-key gathering with his family at his Montecito home.
After spending time with his wife and children Archie and Lilibet in California, Harry goes on vacation with a group of close friends.
Speaking to the BBC To mark his birthday, he reflected on a turbulent decade and told how his two young children have given him a “new outlook on life”.
Prince Harry also promised: ‘Regardless of age, my mission is to continue to serve the world and do good.’
The Duke of Sussex, who reaches the milestone on Sunday, will mark the occasion with a quiet gathering at home with his family at his Montecito home.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (pictured in Colombia last month) will celebrate at home with close friends and family this weekend
Of his children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, he added: ‘Becoming a father to two incredibly kind and funny children has given me a fresh perspective on life and has also sharpened my focus in all my work.’
“Being a father is one of life’s greatest joys. It has only made me more motivated and committed to making the world a better place.”
He starts his fifth decade by traveling with his closest friends, similar to his infamous trip to Las Vegas in 2012.
The Duke said he was “terrified” of turning 30 in 2014, a year after returning from his second tour in Afghanistan.
But he used his “bad moment” – as he called the period after returning from the war – full of lethargy and panic attacks to found the Invictus Games, which have since helped thousands of ex-servicemen around the world.
Harry turned 30 just months after splitting from Cressida Bonas, before meeting Meghan Markle two years later.
This marked the beginning of a particularly difficult period in the prince’s life, after he decided to move to California with Meghan and leave life as a working royal behind for good.
Prince Harry is expected to go on holiday with a number of close friends afterwards (pictured in Las Vegas in 2012)
The Duke said he was ‘looking forward’ to turning 30 in 2014, a year after returning from his second tour in Afghanistan
After returning from his second tour in Afghanistan, Harry founded the Invictus Games (pictured: Harry speaks to a Gurkha in Helmand in 2008)
Prince William is not thought to be attending Harry’s celebrations, a stark difference from the Duke’s 30th birthday.
On the occasion of his birthday this weekend, Harry told People magazine: ‘The best gift I’ve ever received is, without a doubt, my children’
The royal rift was only widened by the couple’s Netflix series and Harry’s memoir Spare, in which he made a series of allegations about mistreatment by his family, particularly his brother, Prince William.
Although Harry celebrated his 30th birthday with the current Prince and Princess of Wales, he has hardly seen William in recent years.
In preparation for his birthday this weekend, Harry told People magazine: “The best gift I’ve ever been given is without a doubt my children. I love watching them grow every day and I love being their dad.”
People – who are known to be close to the Sussexes – also reported that Harry was now ‘focusing on enjoying life’ with his family ‘after years of self-reflection’.
The festivities for his 40th birthday are likely to be in stark contrast to those for his 30th birthday, when William threw a gala party for his little brother at Clarence House.
Thirty of his closest friends toasted Harry with cases of Highgrove champagne, sent to him by his father Charles.
In his memoirs, Harry alleged that William, 42, called Meghan “difficult,” “rude” and “hurtful” and even accused him of pushing him into a dog bowl.
The Duke last visited the UK in May to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, the sporting event he helped set up for wounded soldiers.
In February, he returned to the UK to visit his father, King Charles III, after he revealed he was battling an ongoing battle with an undisclosed form of cancer.