Between Britain's royal brothers Prince William and Prince Harry, it's the latter who has been reputed as naughty, fun-loving and rebellious in his youth. Now that the Duke of Sussex has, recently, turned 35 years old, royal watchers say that this time should mark as a momentous period for the Duke of Sussex.
Princess Diana's divorce from Prince Charles, after 15 years of marriage, was finalized when she turned 35 years old. With a new promising chapter ahead of her, the life of Princess Diana, who was quite the royal rebel herself, was cut short by a car accident in Paris that, apparently, left her youngest son completely devastated.
Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe told Daily Express that, following his mother's death, Prince Harry turned rebellious and took on a path so different from Prince William. The expert said that Prince Harry's rejection of authority and rules was a reflection of his grief. Hence, he was always getting into trouble as a teenager.
It bears to note that Prince Harry was only 12 when his mother died. This was an emotional burden which was too overwhelming for a kid to handle; so, he acted out in school.
"Rather than befriend pupils who sat at the front of the class, handed their homework in on time and studied hard for exams, Harry chose to sit at the back, rarely finished his homework on time and the less said about his exams the better," Larcombe said.
In 2002, The Guardian reported that Prince Harry took drugs and was sent to a rehab clinic for substance abuse problems. He was 17 years old at that time.
The rehab stint, however, might have done wonders to the Duke of Sussex because he later re-emerged in public as a military man who served his Queen and launched his very own cause, the Invictus Games. Royal observers note that, despite Prince Harry's fair share bad press in his younger years, his image did a 180, especially after standing beside his brother as best man during Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.
As he recently marked his 35th year, Prince Harry is about to create another exciting chapter in his life. Much like his mother at this age, he has since rebuilt and reinvented his public image.
Except, unlike his mother, whom the public adored even in her death, Prince Harry is facing another round of PR nightmare as he enters a new chapter in his adult years as a married man and father to Duchess Meghan and Archie Harrison, respectively. Now, royal watchers ask - what will Prince Harry's next phase look like? Will the former rebel become as well-loved as his mother? Let's see.
