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Prince Harry ‘hasn’t burned all his bridges’ but is on ‘different path’ to Meghan Markle

Royal watchers have praised Prince Harry for his recent appearances in New York, London and Johannesburg, with one expert saying that the Duke ‘hasn’t burned all his bridges’

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy for the Duke of Sussex as he has travelled from New York to London and then off to Johannesburg for a series of solo engagements without Meghan Markle, or their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Observers have noted Prince Harry’s enthusiastic return to the limelight, particularly in roles supporting cherished charities like WellChild and Sentebale. Many see him slipping comfortably back into the royal groove. Against this backdrop, a leading royal commentator has offered her insight to OK!, claiming that Harry is still “charming and engaging” and hasn’t completely lost his appeal with those back home in the UK.

Prince Harry’s recent trips were very successful ( 
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(Image: Getty))

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond shared her take on the Prince’s standing, saying: “I don’t think Harry has burned all his bridges with the British public. There’s something about Harry that remains quite charming and engaging.”

Despite past controversies, she believes Harry could still endear himself to the public: “His many attacks on his family will never be forgotten… but perhaps they can eventually be forgiven, by enough people anyway, to make him welcome here.”

She cautioned, however, that a royal comeback isn’t in the cards for Harry: “But, I do not think Harry wants to return to his previous life in any shape or form. He is forging a different way of ‘service’ as he puts it… and that’s the path I think he will continue on while Meghan pursues more commercial activities.”

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho launched Sentebale together ( 
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Getty Images for Sentebale)

After a heartfelt conversation with Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Anxious Generation, Prince Harry revealed his concerns on World Mental Health Day, October 10, about smartphones potentially robbing youngsters of their innocent years. Harry argued, “in many cases, the smartphone is stealing young people’s childhood,” spotlighting the growing dependency of children on these gadgets.

He also highlighted the need to target those truly responsible for this situation, opposing the popular narrative that blames parents as put forth by social media firms: “Well, you know, this is down to you. This is down to your parenting.”

Jonathan refuted the simplistic blame on parents’ control over screen time, arguing: “If there were some parents who were getting this wrong and most parents were getting it right, then I’d be very receptive to that argument,” before adding, “But once kids get a phone and social media, the rest of family life turns into a fight over screen time. And this is happening everywhere.”

Prince Harry has been vocal about the impact of smartphones on the next generation ( 
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(Image: Getty))

He pointedly criticized tech giants for the predicament, stating: “The tech companies put us in a bind, and then they’re trying to blame us for what they did.” Harry’s comments build upon his previous expressions of concern at events like the Clinton Foundation about the dangers social media poses and how children interact with online content.

Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning about the commitment of their Archewell foundation to addressing the dangers of the digital world, Meghan expressed her concerns, “Our kids are young – they’re 3 and 5. They’re amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them. So as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there, and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”

Prince Harry underscored the critical nature of the issue, adding, “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. That is the terrifying piece of this.”