Prince Harry turns 40 today as he jets off for a ‘lads holiday'(Picture: Getty Images)
Happy Birthday to Prince Harry as he turns 40 years old today.
Prince Harry will be celebrating his day by jetting off for a ‘lads holiday’ with this closest friends. Meanwhile, Meghan is expected to stay at home California with their children, five-year-old Archie and three-year-old Lilibet.
The royal has lived quite the life after being born into one of the world’s most famous families.
From his rebellious antics as a teenager and his work in the Army , to moving to the US and starting a family, there have been many ups and downs.
Let’s take a look back at all the key moments.
1984: Prince Harry is born in St Mary’s Hospital
Diana Princess of Wales and King Charles posed with Prince Harry as they left St.Mary’s Hospital on September 16, 1984 (Picture: Getty Images)
Henry Charles Albert David was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, on 15 September, 1984.
Harry was baptised on Friday 21 December at St George’s Chapel, where, thirty-three years later, he went on to marry Meghan Markle.
He is the second child of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Growing up, his family referred to him as Harry – a nickname that stuck.
1989: He looks adorable on his first day of school
The pictures melted the nation (Picture: UK Press via Getty Images)
Pictures show the young prince gaze up at his older brother at his first day at school in 1989.
Although he went onto be known for roguish behaviour, Harry was initially described as a quiet child who was ‘happy in his own world’, opposed to his brother William who was reportedly nicknamed ‘Basher’.
After attending Mrs. Mynors’s Nursery School, Harry headed to Wetherby School in London before going to Ludgrove School in Berkshire and eventually enrolling at Eton College.
1993 – 1994: Charity work, theme parks and McDonald’s trips
Diana, William and Harry ride Loggers Leap at Thorpe Park – this photo went on to become one of the most iconic shots of Diana enjoying down time with her sons (Picture: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)
Diana is said to have tried to make sure her sons had as normal a life as possible outside the palace walls.
This included fast-food runs to McDonald’s on Saturday nights and amusement park and beach trips.
They enjoyed a day out to Thorpe Park on 13 April 1993 and there was no special treatment for the royals – Diana had insisted they queued for all of the rides, just like all of the other thrill-seekers.
The move that perhaps shaped her sons the most was the visits she used to take them on to homeless shelters and other charities.
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles at a parade in the Mall, London, August 1994 (Picture: Getty Images/Hulton Royals Collection)
1997: Loss of his mother
The Duke Of Edinburgh, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry And The Prince Of Wales Following the coffin Of Diana, Princess Of Wales(Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
When Prince Harry turned 12, he faced the hardest time of his life.
One year after his parents divorce in 1996, Harry’s mum Diana died in a car crash in Paris.
The horrific accident happened just two weeks before Harry’s 13th birthday. He and William had been in the Royal Family’s Scottish holiday home Balmoral with their father and cousins at the time.
Harry later spoke of his pain while walking behind her coffin in the funeral procession.
‘It was like I was outside of my body and just walking along doing what was expected of me’, he said on mental health series The Me You Can’t See.
‘[I was] showing one tenth of the emotion that everybody else was showing: This was my mum – you never even met her.’
1998: Attending Eton College
Harry poses wearing his Eton school dress in 12 May 2003 (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Harry started Eton College in 1998.
It’s believed he wasn’t considered particularly academically strong but still gained 11 GCSEs and two A-Levels.
He was ‘a top tier athlete’, playing competitive polo and rugby, and was made a cadet officer in the Combined Cadet Force.
2008: Exploring the world on his gap year
Harry helps rebuild a school on July 8, 2008 in Buthe Buthe, Lesotho (Picture: Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images)
After deciding against university, Harry explored the world on his gap year.
He spent time in Australia working as a jackaroo on a cattle station before heading to Southern Africa to work with orphaned children.
In his late teenage years and early 20s, Harry developed a rebellious reputation and was often seen drinking and smoking – gaining him the label of ‘wild child’ in the British press.
One of the biggest scandals saw him wear a swastika armband to a friend’s fancy dress party, which he later apologised for.
2005 – 2015: Serving in the army and Afghanistan
Captain Wales, as he was known in the British Army, making his early morning pre-flight checks in the cockpit, at Camp Bastion, southern Afghanistan (Picture: PA)
Harry served in the Army for ten years, rising to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours of Afghanistan.
Describing it as ‘the happiest times in my life’, he said: ‘I got to wear the same uniform as everybody else.
‘I had to do all the same training as everybody else. I started from the bottom like everybody else.’
He continues to work in support of his fellow servicemen and founded the Invictus Games in 2014.
A working man
Alongside his Royal duties, he founded the Invictus Games for sick and wounded military personnel, in 2014.
It was announced in June 2015 that Harry was leaving the Armed Forces.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend at the annual Chelsea Flower ({Picture: Julian Simmonds – WPA Pool / Getty Images)
Throughout this year, Harry continued his work started with the Invictus Games by visiting various wounded service personnel up and down the country.
Prince Harry talks with wheelchair basketball players during the launch of the Invictus Games in London (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
2016: Meeting Meghan
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appear together at the wheelchair tennis on day 3 of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Harry met Meghan Markle after being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in London in July 2016.
In the couple’s engagement interview with the BBC, the Duke of Sussex said he fell in love with the Suits actress ‘so incredibly quickly’ and that it felt like the ‘stars were aligned’ for their relationship.
But the pair struggled with press attention and in November 2016, Harry released a statement slamming ‘a wave of abuse and harassment that had racial and sexist undertones’.
2018: A royal wedding
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kiss as they leave at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding ceremony (Picture: PA Wire/PA Images)
Harry and Meghan married on May 19, 2018 in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Six hundred guests – including Serena Williams and George Clooney – watched them make their vows.
On the same day, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on her grandson and his new wife.
2019: Becoming a father and welcoming Archie into the world
The couple pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (Picture: Getty Images Europe)
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on 6 May 2019 at the Portland Hospital in London.
He is sixth in the line of succession to the British throne and became a prince upon the accession of his grandfather, King Charles III.
January 2020: Stepping down
The family watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 (Picture: Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
In January 2020, the duke and duchess announced that they were stepping back from their role as senior members of the Royal Family.
They settled in LA in March after living in Canada for a few weeks.
A year later, it was confirmed the move would be permanent and all honorary military appointments and royal patronages returned to Her Majesty.
Little was initially known about the reasons behind the decision but Harry later said he felt he had to remove his family from the grip of the British press, while he felt the firm had not offered them enough support.
April 2020: Archewell
Harry and Meghan attend Global Citizen Live, New York on September 25, 2021 in New York City (Picture: Getty Images North America)
In April 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were planning to launch a charitable organisation named Archewell.
The non-profit focuses on global issues working to ‘uplift and unite communities’.
March 2021: Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview
The interview brought about some shocking allegations (Picture: Reuters)
A bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 saw Harry and Meghan claim an unnamed member of the Royal Family had raised ‘concerns and conversations about how dark Archie’s skin might be when he’s born’.
The duchess revealed she had suicidal thoughts as she struggled with life in the UK, saying: ‘I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.’
Meanwhile, the duke spoke about his rift with Charles and William and said they were both ‘trapped in the system’.
The Queen responded saying the family was ‘concerned and saddened’ by the allegations, but added ‘recollections may vary’.
June 2021: Welcoming his second child
The first picture of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Lilibet was released in a Christmas card on Dec 23, 2021 (Picture: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex)
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Santa Barbara, California, on June 4, 2021.
She was named after the Queen, who was nicknamed Lilibet as a child, and became a princess upon Her Majesty’s passing.
2021-2022: Loss of the Queen and Prince Philip
Prince Harry walk behind the Queen’s coffin alongside Prince William, Prince of Wales, King Charles III, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Anne, Princess Royal (Picture: Chris Jackson Collection)
Harry’s grandfather died aged 99 on April 9, 2021, while his grandmother followed a year and five months later on September 8, 2022.
Both losses saw the prince reunite with his family in the UK to pay tribute.
He described Philip as ‘authentically himself with a seriously sharp wit’, and fondly remembered the monarch’s ‘infectious smile’.
2024: Turbulent times for the royal family
It has been a difficult year for the royal family with the shocking news of King Charles’ and Kate Middleton’s cancer treatments.
Harry came home to see his father after the diagnosis was made public but only met with his father for around 45 minutes before Charles left London – and it’s believed Harry spent the night in a hotel in London rather than a royal residence.
The King shared a positive update on his health (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The Princess of Wales also took time to focus on her cancer treatment which she made public in a video message to the nation.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are believed to have made contact ‘privately’ with Kate to send her a message of support during this time with reports in the US claiming they only found out when the rest of the world did.
The Princess of Wales announced that she has cancer and was in the early stages of chemotherapy, asking for “time, space and privacy” as she finishes her treatment (Picture: HANDOUT/BBC STUDIOS/AFP via Getty Images)
September 2024: Harry and Meghan release new pictures for Netflix show
A teaser for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest Netflix project has been released after the couple confirmed they are working on two new projects with the streaming giant in April.
Harry and Meghan will be focusing on Netflix projects (Credits: AP)
Netflix had previously said Meghan would host a cooking show and the other release is adocuseries about the world of professional polo, which will premiere in December.
What does Harry’s future hold?
But for now, Harry is off celebrating! (Picture: AP)
While his future with the royal family is still a mystery, Harry is set to continue with his charity work.
In a statement released ahead of the birthday, Harry spoke of the important role his children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, played in his life.
‘I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,’ he said.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.