After Prince Harry humorously addressed the persistent divorce rumours surrounding him and Meghan Markle, a royal expert has suggested that his childhood experiences have left lasting scars. 

Speaking at a book event in New York last week, the 40-year-old joked about the speculative headlines, saying, “Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?”

While Harry shrugged off the rumours, admitting he struggles to “keep up with” the relentless speculation, he also dismissed the notion that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

Royal expert Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, told OK! that Harry’s challenges with life in the public eye stem in part from personality traits shaped by his difficult childhood. 

Bond highlighted that his experiences growing up under intense scrutiny, compounded by concerns over his family’s security, have made navigating the spotlight uniquely challenging for him.

“Harry is stubborn,” she said. “And he is also understandably damaged by what happened to his mother. Who can blame him for being so protective about his wife and children?.

“Especially when he is also an ex-serviceman who served in Afghanistan. Yes, there are glaring inconsistencies in his behaviour…..living in a gun toting culture; going with Meghan to Nigeria and Colombia. 

“But he has picked a fight with the Home Office….and he has the balls to see it through. He will have to live with the consequences. But the case is jeopardising his relationship with his father.”

Harry has been involved in an ongoing legal battle regarding the withdrawal of his security in the UK following his move to California in 2020. Earlier this summer, he secured the right to challenge the decision in the High Court and has repeatedly expressed his strong views on the matter.

Speaking recently, the dad of two said: “All it takes is one lone actor, one person who read this stuff, to act on what they have read, and whether that is a knife or acid … they are genuine concerns for me, they are one of the reasons I won’t bring my wife back to this country [the UK].”

But royal expert Jennie, who says the death of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, has left a deep scar, says she can sympathise with him, especially when it comes to the ongoing rumours that he and Meghan are living ‘separate lives’.

“I have some sympathy with his despair about the media…and social media in particular , with the trolls who peddle unsourced nonsensical rubbish about his marriage,” she said. “He says he is happy. I believe him. Let’s stop trying to make trouble in a marriage we know nothing about.”