Prince Harry's Strangest Moments In 2025 Struck Another Blow To His Reputation
You don't have to be a dedicated royal watcher to know that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex have been struggling in the court of public opinion over the past few years. And 2025 didn't help with the optics for the controversial couple. Meghan had plenty of big flops in 2025 that further damaged her soured reputation. And, while she typically seems to have more dedicated haters than her husband does, Harry also had some odd moments during the year that didn't make him look particularly good.
2025 seemingly didn't bring an end to the royal family feud that has earned Harry most of the hate he gets. And it didn't give Harry moments in the spotlight that showed him in a particularly good light either. Instead, the year was full of more awkward situations between Harry and his estranged family members that put his every move under the microscope in the eyes of royal fans.
His family feud is seemingly going strong
Prince Harry's years-long feud with King Charles III and the bad blood between he and William, Prince of Wales have certainly had a hand in tanking the duke's reputation. Yet, for a moment, it seemed like 2025 would be the year to finally bring the royal family feud to an end. Harry and Charles seemed to take the first step toward reconciliation when they met up after more than a year apart in September. Harry visited his father at his home but didn't spend much more than half an hour there before leaving. This in itself was odd, and it was made stranger by reports claiming that, to Harry, the meeting didn't feel like that of a father and son, but rather like the king and a guest.
Harry's representative was quick to fight this narrative in a statement to Page Six. "Recent reporting of The Duke's view of the tone of the meeting is categorically false," they said, adding, "The quotes attributed to him are pure invention fed, one can only assume, by sources intent on sabotaging any reconciliation between father and son." A source also told the outlet, "They shared a long hug when they first saw each other. Harry started crying and it was very emotional for both of them. They really missed each other." Ultimately, though, there wasn't much evidence supporting the feud's actual end, and Charles reportedly made no subsequent plans to visit Harry during his 2026 U.S. trip.
Harry's trip timing raised eyebrows
Time and time again, Meghan Markle has gotten flak for seemingly attempting to grab the public's attention away from her sister-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales. And in 2025, Prince Harry made a move that seemed like he was borrowing a page from Meghan's playbook. In November, Prince William traveled to Brazil to present his Earthshot Prize, which awards environmental innovators. Yet, the palace was surprised when Harry announced that he'd be taking his own trip at the same time. Harry headed across the border to Canada to celebrate Remembrance Day.
The royals were reportedly less than thrilled that the brothers' trips overlapped, as it seemed that Harry may have been trying to steal attention from his estranged brother. Yet, Harry claimed that the two trips had nothing to do with each other. According to him, not only had his trip been planned far in advance, but he also did notify the royal family about his plans "as a courtesy," per the Daily Mail.
He wore an accessory that caused controversy
Somehow, Prince Harry's oddly-timed trip wasn't the only thing he did in November 2025 that irritated fans of the royal family and likely the royal family themselves. Harry disgusted royalists when he wore a poppy pin to Kris Jenner's birthday party. You might ask, what's so bad about a pin? The royal family sports these pins in November in honor of Remembrance Sunday. Jenner's big, star-studded celebration took place the night before the holiday. So, had Harry not left the royal family, this would have been a completely normal fashion statement. These days, though, royal fans hate to see Harry stepping on the royal family's toes or taking on their traditions, since he chose to part ways with his royal role.
Of course, as is often the case with Harry and Meghan Markle's controversy-causing behavior, it's unclear whether or not Harry's pin was a deliberate attempt to hang onto his royal roots. After all, Remembrance Day is a day dedicated to folks who served in the U.K. military. And since Harry himself is a veteran, it's easy to see why this holiday may be particularly important to him, whether he's a working royal or not.