Prince Harry has 'no interest' in returning to royal duties

By Victoria Ward and India McTaggart

The Duke of Sussex has "no interest" in returning to royal duties in the UK and is focused solely on his future in the United States, well-placed sources have told the Telegraph.

Prince Harry's efforts to maintain contact with old friends, coupled with an evident desire to repair his relationship with the King, have prompted renewed speculation that he is seeking a fresh start and even an official working role within the family fold.

But multiple sources close to the Duke insist that this is not the case, that he is happy and settled in California, has an "amazing" new set of friends and several projects on the horizon.

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Since relocating to the US, the Duke has maintained contact with a tight group of trusted advisors with whom he worked in his former life, some of whom he occasionally turns to for advice.

However, they too expressed surprise at the suggestion that he might one day return to royal duties and are unaware of an alleged "blueprint" outlining how Prince Harry might one day begin moving in UK circles again, the existence of which was first reported by The Mail on Sunday.

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The newspaper claimed that certain "friends" want a key lieutenant to lead a "comeback campaign", naming Ed Lane Fox, the Duke's former private secretary, as the ideal candidate.

Mr Lane Fox, a former captain in the Household Cavalry, has maintained contact with Prince Harry and sits on the board of the Invictus Games.

The Duke has also stayed in touch with a handful of old friends from his school days.

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Although many have been lost along the way – some when he met his wife and others when the couple moved abroad and embarked on a series of high profile interviews criticising his family – the few who have stuck by him have remained fiercely loyal.

Those he is said to have contacted recently, out of the blue, are those "acquired in more recent times" rather than Old Etonian friends.

As he prepares to turn 40 next week, he may be reflecting on his life choices and those he has left behind.

They include his father and his brother, with whom personal contact has all but evaporated. Prince Harry has made no secret of his wish to reunite with the King in particular, despite conflicting narratives emerging from the two camps about efforts to make contact and who is rebuffing who.

The security issue also remains a key factor, with UK visits all but ruled out amid claims that it is too dangerous for the Duke to return with no access to automatic police protection.

He is awaiting a date for his appeal against a High Court ruling after failing to successfully challenge the Government's position.

In the meantime, his clandestine visit last month, when he managed to fly in and out of the UK unnoticed to attend the funeral of his uncle, Lord Fellowes, in Norfolk, may pave the way for more frequent homecomings.

Although Team Sussex seemingly wanted to keep the Duke's attendance under wraps, it demonstrated that he could come and go with minimal fanfare and, therefore, minimal security risk.

The visit also showed that the Duke is keen to stand shoulder to shoulder with his family.

Those close to him maintain that, despite the ongoing rift with his father and brother, he is incredibly happy and is determined to look forwards and not back.

He is currently preparing for a trip to New York where he will take part in engagements connected to his various charities, including African Parks, the Halo Trust, the Diana Award, and Travalyst.

The visit, later this month, coincides with the UN General Assembly's High-level Week, which focuses on issues such as climate change, poverty and inequality, as well as the city's annual Climate Week.

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The Duke is also said to be heavily focused on the next iteration of the Invictus Games, which takes place in Vancouver and Whistler in February 2025, as well as various US-based projects that have not yet been announced.

More overseas visits, similar to the recent quasi-royal tour of Colombia, are planned, while the Duke is also keeping himself busy with a new Archewell initiative called the Parents' Network, a support group for parents whose children have suffered harm online.

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