Six years after stepping away from senior royal life, Prince Harry is settling into a markedly different rhythm in California, according to a report that portrays him as a hands-on parent while Meghan Markle drives the couple's commercial ambitions. The account, published by RadarOnline, has reignited debate over gender roles, work, and identity inside one of the world's most scrutinized marriages.
RadarOnline reports that Harry, 41, has "embraced life as a hands-on parent" in Montecito as Meghan becomes the "driving professional force" behind ventures tied to her As Ever brand and related content deals. The framing, however, has drawn attention for its language, with unnamed critics quoted as describing Harry as a "henpecked house hubby" and Meghan as the "trouser-wearing breadwinner."
The report situates the dynamic against the backdrop of the couple's January 2020 decision to step back as senior royals, a move framed at the time as a bid for independence and privacy. One unnamed source told RadarOnline, "Harry barely leaves the house now and cleans, tidies and looks after his and Meghan's children," adding that while he "enjoys the domestic bliss," the "house hubby" label has him questioning "his masculinity and traditional gender roles."
That characterization leans heavily on traditional assumptions about work and status, equating income generation with authority and domestic labor with diminishment. The same report underscores how sharply this contrasts with Harry's former life inside the royal system, where, according to another source, days were dictated by "timetables, security protocols and constant oversight," and where "every movement was planned."
RadarOnline suggests that structure has largely disappeared in California. One source argued that Harry, shaped "by the military as much as by royalty," was accustomed to "discipline, hierarchy and a clear sense of duty," elements they say are now absent. The result, the source claimed, is that Harry has been "drifting professionally."
A "royal expert" quoted in the report sharpened that contrast, saying that in the U.K. Harry had "formal duties, scheduled appearances and a sense of institutional purpose," while in the U.S. he has "yet to establish a comparable professional identity." Instead, the expert said, Harry has focused on raising Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, as Meghan has become the "primary earner."
Other passages emphasize Harry's discomfort with celebrity culture. One source said he remains uneasy with what they called the "performative nature of Hollywood life," adding that he has "long struggled with intense social anxiety" and that public exposure "does not come naturally to him." Meghan, by contrast, was described by a California acquaintance as "naturally decisive and outward-facing."
