PRINCE Harry has no successes to his name apart from the Invictus Games and must do more to make it big, a royal expert says.
The Games, which use competitive sport to help the recovery of wounded, injured, and sick veterans, first took place in March 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
They have gone on to become a major success, hosting events for up to 550 competitors with nine core sports running for around one week – and flexibility for other activities, including esports.
Wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, and indoor rowing feature, and the Games have garnered a great deal of praise for helping military personnel.
But some of his other projects have been met with controversy, including his explosive memoir Spare; his and wife Meghan Markle‘s axed Spotify podcast; and difficulties with the brand Archewell.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive programme that there is a harsh expression that says if you “haven’t made it” by the time you’re 40, you never will.
“But of course that’s not true,” she said, adding: “But I think in the back of Harry’s mind probably he’s thinking ‘I’ve got to get on with it, I’ve got to really go for it now’.
“He has the success of the Invictus Games, which we all know, but we can’t really name anything else.
“There were lots of other philanthropic things but just off the top of my head I only think Invictus.
“So I think Harry needs to, kind of get a stronger foothold into that world that he says he wants to promote so badly.”
Spotify and Archewell released a joint statement back in June 2023 claiming that their deal was ended by “mutual agreement”, as ‘Archetypes’ was axed after just 12 episodes.
In Harry’s memoir Spare, which was released on January 10, 2023, he recalled an alleged altercation with his brother William which ended with him falling into a dog bowl.
He also claimed William disapproved of Harry’s marriage to Meghan and once called her “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”
While the book’s publisher said the English-language edition of the memoir sold more than 1.4 million copies on its release day, Harry drew some criticism for the controversial claims he made in it.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Harry and Meghan’s Archewell brand had been beset by difficulties, including a storm that saw its charity arm cleared after being reportedly declared delinquent.
The Telegraph reported Archewell had been ordered to stop raising funds after a mix-up showed it as failing to submit records and pay a bill.
It was alleged it had been slapped with a delinquency notice and banned from raising or spending or raising money until it paid the fees.
The Sussexes’ team claimed the documents were filed and the cheque sent but it wasn’t processed on time.
And in a statement, California’s Department of Justice later confirmed the charity is “current and in good standing”.
Archewell was created with huge fanfare in 2020 as a mix of for-profit and not-for-profit businesses when the couple stepped down from the Royal Family.
Its charitable arm was to focus on fund-raising and supporting projects around the world, while the business side of things concentrated on media productions.
The accounting mix-up was resolved.
In June this year, The Sun reported how the mother of a hero veteran hit out following news Prince Harry would receive an award honouring her dead son.
She blasted the Duke of Sussex saying there are others “far more fitting” and with less “privilege” who could win the gong.
Harry works with and supports other patronages including Scotty’s Little Soldiers and The Halo Trust.