The public presence of the Duke of Sussex is minimal compared to its former magnitude, and a significant reason explains his low profile.
Is it more challenging to observe the Dusky Warbler or The Duke of Sussex in California? One is an infrequently seen migratory bird and the other is a blood prince, yet both are difficult to find these days.
At this point, 2025 appears to be shaping up as potentially one of the most subdued years, with Harry’s public presence seeming to diminish.
This year, he has engaged in philanthropic activities on roughly 17 days, as far as is publicly known and at the current time of writing. (This encompasses the ten days of the Invictus Games and seven additional occasions, such as his subtle gratitude towards volunteer firefighters amid the LA wildfires.)
The duke and the Dusky Warbler – both are not native to California and neither is often observed.
In 2022, the duke was requested to speak at the UN General Assembly; now he has the responsibility of carrying his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex’s iPhone.
The 40-year-old may possess many facets, yet he seems to be more often maintaining a low profile, except for his occasional readiness to toss a grenade over the palace walls.
Overall, the primary spot to see the duke recently is on the duchess’s Instagram account due to her active posting schedule. In the past few weeks, we’ve enjoyed watching Harry’s happiness during a Disneyland trip with his children and his regrettably Dad-like dancing skills.
While Meghan tirelessly works on creating her empire—something her in-laws have experienced harsh realities about—through tea bags and rose petals, successfully selling out her second collection of As Ever products and introducing her own rosé, Harry in 2025 still seems somewhat undefined.
As the duchess transforms and develops her brand into that of a driven entrepreneur, the duke appears to be ensnared in an identity crisis, caught in a reputational limbo.
Today, it’s simpler to describe Harry by what he isn’t.
Regal? He may still possess his titles, but what are they other than glossy embellishments he can print on his stacks of unused stationery? The royal family seems to want to engage with him as much as with non-existent gin.
His father, King Charles, refuses to talk to him, as he revealed to the BBC in May, providing the British broadcaster with a revealing interview and exposing the significant damage the family has suffered over the past few years.
His brother Prince William, who used to be “burning” about his sibling’s lively sharing of Windsor gossip, is now ‘indifferent’ to the duke, the Sunday Times reported this week.
His circle of cousins is no longer captured in his presence, and in September, it will mark three years since the late Queen’s funeral and the last occasion the Duke of Sussex was seen with anyone familiar with the Buckingham Palace Wi-Fi password.
Yet, you could refer to it as royalty. That is determined by service. Through unwavering effort and by assisting the less fortunate with an indomitable, tireless spirit reminiscent of the Blitz era. Harry is widely regarded as a man who truly cares, having dedicated two decades to his philanthropic organizations.
Regrettably, he has encountered disputes and difficulties in this area.
In late March, he and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stepped down from their charity, Sentebale, along with the entire board, due to a disagreement with the chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka. She subsequently accused Harry and the organization of “large-scale bullying and harassment.” The Charity Commission in the UK is conducting an investigation, and Harry has expressed his ‘heartbreak’ regarding the matter.
In May, the charity African Parks, with which Harry has been associated since 2016, admitted that rangers hired by the group had perpetrated “human rights violations” against native people in the Congo.
He has maintained these longstanding connections, including discussing mental health at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit in December, endorsing The Diana Awards in Las Vegas in May, and traveling over 10,000km to deliver a speech on his sustainable travel initiative Travelyst at a summit in China that same month.
None of it truly succeeded in creating any significant impact or was especially recognized by the broader world.
The bright highlight in the duke’s charitable efforts is the Invictus Games, the athletic competition for injured active-duty and former military members that exemplifies ‘life-altering’.
The continuous success of the Games showcases what Harry is capable of – yet since arriving in the States in 2020 and figuring out how to mispronounce ‘tomato’, he hasn’t initiated or accomplished anything that remotely compares to this.
Unlike previous years, the Sussexes have not embarked on any DIY ‘royal’ oversight tours, instead visiting Nigeria and Colombia in 2024.
Harry also does not seem to be a paid employee these days. There are currently no podcasts, books, TV shows, documentaries, movies, or even his own line of ducally-approved creatine in the works.
I guess there’s always observing birds. His nation may not desire him anymore, but the Dusky Warbler? Why not?
Daniela Elser is a commentator, editor, and writer with over 15 years of experience collaborating with several of Australia’s top media outlets.