Prince Harry on his birthday: ‘I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40’

Virgo King Prince Harry turns 40 years old on Sunday. His birthday has been endlessly previewed in the British media, with Kensington Palace and Prince William spending much of the past month trying to smear Harry and make it sound like Harry is desperate to return to the UK so he can do William’s work and be William’s scapegoat. I bring up those stories because I’m sure Harry has seen all of them, worked out William’s agenda, and decided to do something sort of remarkable to push back. Harry released a statement to the BBC about his birthday, which was read on air.

The Duke of Sussex has said his mission is to do good in the world, as he prepares to turn 40 this week. He added that although he was anxious about turning 30, he is looking forward to his 40th birthday.

The Duke told The BBC: “I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40.”

In a statement to the broadcaster, the prince added: “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”

The 39-year-old will celebrate this birthday on Sunday with his family in California. It is understood he will then go on a holiday with a group of close friends.

The Duke also spoke about the importance of his children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, ahead of the milestone. He said: “Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work,” he said in the statement. “Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”

[From The Telegraph]

I’m sure this weekend will be full of royal commentators crying about why Harry stole the left-behind Windsors’ thunder by releasing a statement and something something “I thought he wanted privacy!” Again, those same people were gleefully publishing William’s unhinged fantasies about Harry’s misery in Montecito. I love it when Harry and Meghan just issue statements directly, and it was a good move to make the statement to the BBC. Notice how the Telegraph can’t help but act like Harry is some kind of unnamed palace source too – “It is understood he will then go on a holiday with a group of close friends.” No, Harry TOLD the BBC that he was going on a trip with his friends.

In other positive-Sussex news, Harry’s friend Bryony Gordon wrote a sweet essay in the Daily Mail about how she became friends with Harry and Meghan and how they’re really cool and down-to-earth in real life. You can read the archived version here.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

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39 Responses to “Prince Harry on his birthday: ‘I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40’”

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  1. Lolo86lf says:

    Harry’s mission statement: To do good in the world.” William’s mission statement: To do as little as possible and to blame others for my laziness.”

    • Indica says:

      I’m sorry but I don’t think William has a mission statement. It’d take work to make one and we know that’s not something he does.

    • AmyB says:

      and grow fugly facial hair.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Harry shows up, Billy Idle hides. That’s all you really need to know about the brothers.

      Diana was 100% correct when she said Harry would make the better king.

  2. MrsCope says:

    Just here to say I love this for them. Harry loves his life! Harry loves his wife! Harry loves his kids! Harry loves his friends! Harry is living his purpose! Happy birthday, indeed!

  3. I hope Harry has a wonderful birthday. He has a great outlook and I’m very happy for him. He does what he believes is right and helps others.

  4. Jan says:

    Good idea, putting out a statement.
    I don’t know how long the Dailyfail is going to employ Bryony, if she don’t deliver news about the Sussexes.

  5. Amy T says:

    Happy birthday to Prince Harry, whose life is a master class in living your best life. Wishing him continued health and happiness.

  6. Beth says:

    Just want to flag up that on BBC TV this morning they did make clear that they’d reached out to Harry, as did People magazine the other day. Pretty positive – including (amazingly) Jenny Bond.

    • Square2 says:

      Those Royalists, BM, RR & the Britians’ hostile has been & will always be toward the Black American Woman – Meghan Markle. Those calling Prince Harry traitor means “Race Traitor”.

      Before Harry met Meghan, he was always the most popular Royal behind QE2. That’s why they wrote numerous articles telling Harry to ditch Meghan and we’ll gladly welcome you back.

  7. Inge says:

    Boss move by Harry

    And I’ve unfollowed Bryony when she went to work for the Fail. I also highly doubt they are still friends.

  8. equality says:

    I bet PH said nothing about a trip. They are just repeating previous rumors that may or may not be true. There are no quotes around the trip part.

  9. Amy Bee says:

    I saw the BBC clip about the statement on twitter. The British press shouldn’t have any complaints about this but I’m sure they will find something to gripe about. One thing is clear they really do miss him and are desperate to have him back in the UK. I hope Harry has a wonderful birthday.

  10. Cassie says:

    I loved Bryonys article , it was lovely .

    Happy 40th Birthday to my favourite prince , may you continue doing great things .

    • Inge says:

      when she started working for the fail I unfollowed her. She’s writing for Harry’s biggest enemy and she’s supposably a friend? Maybe she was once but now….

      • Cassie says:

        I read her article when Harry invited her over when Spare was released , that was also well done .
        Not sure what your problem is with her .

      • Inge says:

        @Cassie that she went and worked for the Fail knowing how awful they are, driving people to suicide.

      • Ace says:

        Exactly.

        It says nothing good about her that she chose to work for the DM whoever she claims her friends are, but it’s incredibly gross she’s writing articles about their supposed friendship for a paper that still hounds H&M to this day and would love to see them suffer. And no, it doesn’t matter that the article was “positive”, it’s just using them as commodities to make money just like the awful BM does with them.

      • Kingston says:

        @Inge and @Ace

        While my initial response to the news that Bryony is now writing for the Fail was one of disappointment, to say the least, I hv since come to the conclusion that there is much more going on than meets the eye (as is usually the case regarding things about which outsiders/onlookers know nothing.)

        First of all, I dont believe writing for the Fail is her only source of income nor, in fact, do I believe she is a full-time employee of the Fail. Its more likely that writing for them is just one of her many gigs (which writers all over the world often hv to do.) And as such, I do believe she was therefore able to have a say in what she will and wont write about (including the Sussexes.)

        Secondly, I commend Bryony for surviving in the cesspool known as the british tabloid media, with a sense of decency intact. Understand: her mother was a gossip columnist (yeah I just did a quick google search on Bryony) so she grew up with the shitmedia in her blood. Then after dropping out of college she began writing for the Express!!! And we know that sheet is nothing more than the british equivalent of “National Enquirer.”

        Another very important thing: for many years and continuing, Bryony, thru her own admission, grapples with alcoholic, poor mental health, OCD and other addiction problems. So it is highly likely that as a result she has had problems maintaining employment. I recall that the piece she wrote in the Telegraph last year about visiting the Sussexes and interviewing H after the publication of Spare, was the first article in her then newly-opened substack account but I dont know how well that is going.

        Bottomline for me, regarding how I feel about her working for the Fail, is that H&M trusted her enough to invite her into their home.

    • Libra says:

      The comments under the Bryony article are predictably nasty, especially towards Meghan. If there are any positives I’m sure they’ve been edited out.

      • Julia says:

        These people don’t like it when their narrative is challenged. They also know that comments from people that actually know Harry and Meghan carry more weight than quotes from anonymous staffers.

  11. Hypocrisy says:

    Prince Harry getting good press in the fail while WanK is being criticized and dragged for their video has been a fun morning.. I feel like I’m fell into an alternate reality and I like it here🤗. I hope Prince Harry has a wonderful birthday 🥳

    • Sunnyside up says:

      Fail readers love the video but when I wrote a disparaging comment about it, it wasn’t published. Explains why all the comments are so supportive.

      • Julia says:

        It doesn’t make sense considering on all other comments sections opinions have been mixed. Maybe Fail readers are more brainwashed than the average person? I expect someone is censoring negative comments.

      • Kingston says:

        @Julia
        Its more likely that Bully makes sure his part of the pay-for-play arrangement with the Fail is ALWAYS copacetic! LMAO

        Whenever Bully gets too big for his britches, the Fail lets everyone know via the way they allow some criticisms in comments to remain instead of editing them out and via some shady articles.

        And we also know that Bully is towing the line when the Fail goes back to licking his arse.

  12. Lau says:

    You can already see how the British tabloids are going to be stalking him throughout the weekend. They really don’t have anything better to do.

    • Eurydice says:

      They have a lot of better things to do, but not anything that will generate as many comments as Harry.

  13. Em says:

    Look how he doesn’t mention his yellowing toothed brother or his cancer stricken sister in law in an article about his big milestone age? Very demure, very mindful

  14. Becks1 says:

    They read his statement on air!! lol the media is so obsessed with him. It was a perfect statement though and I hope he enjoys his birthday weekend.

    The british media is making a bigger deal out of this than they did for William’s 40th lol.

    • lanne says:

      A crazy thing for the BBC to do for someone deemed so peripheral. I wish the British media would stop pretending that Harry and Meghan don’t matter when the Sussexes are the only topic of conversation for them.

  15. swaz says:

    I love it when they issue statements like that, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE PRINCE🎈🎈🎈

  16. girl_ninja says:

    I believe him when he says he was anxious, the big 3-0 is a milestone birthday. I did a quick search of where Harry was in 2014 at age 30 and he’d just launched Invictus Games in March an enormous undertaking of its own. And he and Cressida Bonas broke up in April of the same year. And he of course had to deal with Kate and Willy on his own.

    Going into his 40th year, he is free from his family of users, and he is leaving the high life with his wife, babies, chosen family and friends. What a wonderful time for him.

  17. Beverley says:

    Happy birthday, Virgo King Harry!
    And many happy returns of the day.

  18. tamsin says:

    I’ve read two articles by Bryony about Harry, and they were both positive and informative and I enjoyed reading them. I don’t know who she works for, but I get the impression she freelances. I side-eye her writing for the Daily Fail as well, but look at the British journalism landscape. Which publication would have approval? And I shouldn’t think the Sussexes would begrudge someone earning a living. And I believe her stated rationale for the article. Harry will get a pile on, and she wants to get her positive two cents in in a way that she can’t be accused of being a Harry sycophant, which would not help her or Harry.