Oh please come on. That letter is so full of ego puffery and self-importance, it's a wonder the paper it's written on doesn't up and take flight from it's own self-obsessed hauteur.
'Get wid it Harry and be merry prince charming so I can keep my job observing, criticizing and going on in print about the way you lucky royals are supposed to act!'
BTW, psst to the letter scribe Rachel Johnson: Duchess Kate did not write
'Princess' on Prince George's birth certificate, her husband did! Because what else was he supposed to enter?? 'Housewife'!? Listen up please: The modern royals are striving to find a balance between royal tradition and the modern world. Why the heck can't people with their noses in the air see that!? Too busy sniffing after rarefied air apparently.
Oh pish-posh all ye begrudgers and enviers of the royal lifestyle of a British prince!
Yes, visiting the National History Museum at night is one of the perks of Harry's position. The writer of that letter is dreaming if she thinks she'd be able to manage the downsides, demands and pressures that come along with such perks, even to the degree that Harry has so far managed to do!
Prince Harry was young in his twenties and he had the thing that made him happiest (being in combat with his buddies) taken away from him, simply because he is a British royal prince.
Harry did not want to leave the army. He had to make that choice because he was prevented by his royal status in being able to make it a viable career. That's what Harry is talking about. His freedom to choose what he'd like to do in life is drastically circumscribed and curtailed as a royal. He wants to lead a meaningful, productive life, which is difficult to do when your choices are constricted and your every move and utterance are over-analyzed and criticized. He obviously does not want to live a celebrity playboy lifestyle. His partying and making mischief during his twenties was largely in rebellion against the strictures and smothering he felt, not to mention the anguish he had yet to come to grips with regarding the loss of his mother at such a young age.
Harry comes from wealth on both sides of his family, so its not as if he's talking about living a struggling existence. By 'ordinary,' he seemingly means being able to make his own decisions freely, and being able to walk down the street and go grocery shopping without being recognized and bombarded by the public and the media, who have followed his every move for his entire life. He would probably like to be able to kiss his girlfriend in public and take her openly to a family wedding without tabloid media frenzy and trollish negativity being hurled at not only his girlfriend but at his sister-in-law's sister!
He's talking about the desire he felt in his twenties to escape the daunting downsides of the royal yoke around his neck. It's likely he eventually realized that attempting to lead life as a commoner would not have given him any escape from who he is, nor from media prying and poking. Maybe we should heed the dictum: 'Walk in someone else's shoes before throwing stones at them.'
We should be able to see that what Harry was going through in his twenties was growing pains complicated by the nature of his position in life, and by his unresolved anguish over the loss of his mother. Some of you seem to feel that having money, privilege and the ability to lead a jet-setting lifestyle protects a person from personal woes and emotional challenges. Obviously it does not. With wealth and stature comes greater responsibility and more complicated decision-making, especially if you are a thoughtful, caring person. Of course, wealth and connections offer the opportunity to receive expert help, and I'm glad that Harry was eventually able to reach out and receive the counseling he needed, which is an important first step. But even then, it's not always easy to find a therapy situation that's a good fit. Harry has spoken about that too. In many ways, what he went through has been a trial by fire that has enriched his understanding and insight into how he might help others in need.
Bottom line: A rich, purposeless lifestyle actually benefits no one. Aimless partying and trekking around the world without a specific purpose or a sense of being able to do something beneficial can be dispiriting and self-defeating. Harry is telling us that's not who he is, and not what he wants to become. He wants royal traditions to work for people, not to shackle his life. Fortunately, Harry has come through that agonizing episode in his life, and I see nothing wrong with him sharing some of what he's been through. He apparently feels the need to be open as part of the ongoing charity work he's doing to benefit his country and to inspire other young people who are dealing with emotional struggles. He's also realizing and strategizing how he can use his status in ways that can make a difference.