The Duke of Sussex has penned a long, personal essay on what it means to be British. And it drops a huge hint about his yearning for home, according to an expert
Prince Harry has penned an extraordinary essay on what it means to be British, despite quitting the UK and walking away from royal duties five years ago.
His 647-word piece, titled ‘The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry – has certainly raised eyebrows among royal watchers. But according to one expert, it also contains a clue he might be considering moving back to the UK.
Communications specialist Judi James tells The Mirror that Harry’s love letter to the UK is brimming with ‘yearning’ and ‘nostalgia’. She points to one paragraph in particular, which reads: “Though currently, I may live in the United States, Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for. The banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands ridiculous as it sounds, these are the things that make us British. I make no apology for it. I love it.”
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Delving into the potential meaning behind the essay, Judi says: “‘Though currently, I may live in the United States,’ is the fascinating line, both for its wording and its use of punctuation. ‘Though I now live in the United States’ would be a statement of non-negotiable fact. But Harry adds ‘currently’ and ‘may’ to make it sound less fixed and solid. The use of the word ‘currently’ sounds negotiable, appearing to hint at a return to the UK. It’s a word that leaves things open, like: ‘I’m currently single’ would imply a desire to get married or ‘I’m currently unemployed’ would suggest someone is searching for work.”
Judi continued: “It sounds like a teaser in terms of a return to the UK. The use of a comma after ‘currently’ makes it look even more so. He uses the singular ‘I’ before ‘I may live in the United States’ and the word ‘may’ is an unnecessary diluter of a statement. Though currently, I may live in the United States’ is a choice of wording and punctuation that sounds open-ended with anything possible. Try saying ‘Though currently, I may be married’ to your spouse and see their reaction.
The expert concluded: “Harry’s choice of wording hints that he’s not only possibly homesick but that a return of some sort might be on the horizon.”
Harry has made no secret of his desire to reunite with his family – but many have questioned whether there is any way back for the duke, who has so publicly hit out at his family on a number of occasions.
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On Monday, he was accused of trying to upstage his older brother Prince William by announcing a pseudo-royal trip of his own to Canada, minutes after the future King completed his first engagement in Brazil on his own tour. Harry’s team quickly dismissed the scrutiny, claiming the timing of the announcement was all down to the Duke’s security.
In September, the King agreed to see Harry for the first time in over than a year. Their meeting lasted 55 minutes, although experts suggest the King would have remained tight-lipped over fears of leaks.
Days later, Harry sat for an interview with The Guardian, which has been famously critical of the monarchy and, in a 2000 editorial, even advocated for its abolishment. He insisted his “conscience is clear” following his revealing memoir Spare, asserting that he did not air his “dirty linen in public”.
Harry has previously said his family is unable to visit the UK because of concerns over their safety. In May 2025, he gave another interview in which he said he was “devastated” at losing a legal challenge over his security in the UK.
Harry also told the BBC that the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”, but said he did not want to fight any more and did “not know how much longer my father has”.
Speaking after the court ruling, the Duke stated: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
He added that the decision to remove his automatic security entitlement after he decided to quit royal life impacts him “every single day”, and has left him in a position where he can only safely return to the UK if invited by the Royal Family since he would get sufficient security in those circumstances.
