Prince Harry has spent the last four years forging a new life for himself in the US, but has been on a high-profile solo trip to New York without his wife, Meghan Markle

Prince Harry’s life has been a whirlwind of change over the past four years. The Duke of Sussex, 40, made the monumental decision to step down as a senior royal, leaving behind his upbringing, status and most heartbreakingly, his family. However, despite the emotional rollercoaster, it seems Harry may have turned a corner last week, reports OK!

He embarked on a high-profile solo trip to New York, without his wife Meghan Markle, focusing on his key interests: conservation, environmental issues and honouring his late mother’s legacy. This visit has demonstrated that Harry is successfully navigating the transition between his former and current lives a feat for which he deserves recognition, according to a top Royal expert.

“We have seen the old Harry again during recent events he’s attended in the UK and now in New York,” ex-BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK! “He is brilliant with the people he meets, especially the children, and I think it shows the family back home that he is still determined to continue his kind of service without all the royal trappings. If he wants to use his platform to do good, then we should applaud him for it.”

Despite having the option to simply relish his role as a doting husband to Meghan, 43, and a proud father to five year old Prince Archie and three year old Princess Lilibet, Prince Harry remains committed to utilising his public standing for the greater good. “There’s nothing to stop Harry having a pretty low-profile life now he is, after all, a multi-millionaire and I’m sure he could just live a life of idle pleasure in the Californian sunshine,” notes Jennie.

“However, he has chosen to use his platform to promote causes he cares about… to ‘serve’ even though he is not a working royal. I don’t think he’s trying to put noses out of joint, I think he’s just following his instincts, as well as his mother’s example. It’s no coincidence that he has taken up several of the causes she espoused. I think he feels a real vocation to carry on her work.”

The legacy of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was a significant motivator during Harry’s recent visit to New York. He concentrated on the efforts of the HALO Trust the charity that facilitated Diana’s iconic 1997 walk across an Angolan minefield and also marked the 25th anniversary of The Diana Award.

During his appearance at the 14th Concordia Annual Summit, Prince Harry took a moment to commend two of this year’s award recipients, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica. He expressed his admiration by saying, “I applaud you for having the confidence to be on this stage,” and shared a touching sentiment about his late mother: “I know my mother would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism is true to how my mother lived her life.”

Jennie, reflecting on Diana’s legacy, warmly noted, “Diana would, I’m sure, have been very supportive of the choices Harry has made. I think she would have been proud of him for having the courage to leave a life in which he was so unhappy. She probably would have giggled with delight at some of the barbs he had fired at Palace courtiers the ‘grey men’ who she felt made her life such a misery.”

She continued, “But, saying that, she would have been distraught by the deep rift between Harry and his brother. She always made them promise they would be best friends for life. That, sadly, has proved impossible, but Harry is continuing to prove his loyalty to the causes and charities that mean so much to him. That is something that Diana would have admired and been proud of.”

Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, shared a panel with Prince Harry at the summit to discuss the global mental health crisis. Tessy praised the Duke as “a passionate advocate for mental health”. She added, “He actually said to me, as we came in, that actually, we should no longer talk about mental health, we should talk about mental fitness. His dedication to this cause strengthens our mission.”

During the significant UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week, Prince Harry was in New York City to “advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives,” according to his spokesperson.

Jennie explains that this work is central to Harry’s future aspirations. “I don’t think he has some grand plan to rebuild his image, I think he just wants a more balanced life where he can come back to his home country, carry out engagements and, hopefully, spend a bit of time with his father, before returning to his home and family in California. “Friends of his say he is kind, funny and pretty damn normal… and that he cares passionately about injured veterans, mental health, internet dangers and the other campaigns he is involved with.”

Harry is set to make a heartwarming return from the US to attend the prestigious WellChild Awards in London on 30 September, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to charitable work. The Duke has lauded the charity, as patron for over a decade, stating: “I am once again honoured to attend this year’s awards celebrating the remarkable courage and achievements of children living with complex medical needs. These incredible young people, along with the dedicated caregivers, nurses and professionals who tirelessly support them, inspire us all. It is a true privilege to recognise such extraordinary individuals. ”

Prince Harry’s decision to journey alone to the UK, amidst speculation of a desire to spend more time on home soil compared to Meghan, reflects a certain urgency to carve out a meaningful independent path, according to Royal commentator Phil Dampier.

Phil noted: “He’s turned 40 and must be asking himself what the future holds. I think he’s desperate to find some new meaning to his life and that seems to involve branching out on his own more. He clearly wants to find some causes he can get involved in and give his life some purpose. Meghan doesn’t want to come back to this country, so he will have to fly solo. ”

Echoing Phil’s sentiments, Jennie chimes in: “As Meghan has her own business interests and causes, it seems perfectly normal to me that they would sometimes carry out solo engagements, leaving one parent at home to look after the children. It strikes me that they have a very equal partnership which allows them both to stand out. And the truth is, Harry still shines brilliantly on his own.”