Prince Harry says he’s ‘excited’ about turning 40: ‘Committed to making this world a better place’

Prince Harry has “a fresh perspective” on life in time for his milestone birthday.

The Duke of Sussex, who is turning 40 on Sunday, told the BBC in a new statement that he’s looking forward to entering a new decade.

“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” the British royal told the outlet ahead of his birthday weekend.

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Prince Harry turns 40 on Sunday, Sept. 15. (Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world,” he shared.

According to the outlet, Harry plans on celebrating his birthday in California with his family. He’ll then head off on a break with close friends.

Harry lives in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harry has been living in California with his wife Meghan Markle since 2020. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“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,” said Harry. “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.”

Harry has been faced with turbulent times in the past 10 years.

When he turned 30 in 2014, it was the year after he returned from his second tour in Afghanistan with the British Army, the outlet reported. In his 2023 memoir “Spare,” Harry admitted he was struggling with “terrifying panic attacks” and periods of lethargy.

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Ten years ago, Harry had recently broken up with Cressida Bonas. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)

A few months before he turned 30, he and his then-girlfriend, English actress and model Cressida Bonas, called it quits.

But it was also when he turned 30 that Harry founded his passion project, the Invictus Games.

Modeled after the Warrior Games in the United States, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a Paralympic-style event designed to inspire military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries.

“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40.”

— Prince Harry

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games when he turned 30. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

In 2016, Harry met Markle, an American actress. They married in 2018.

Harry has had a strained relationship with his family and has seen his father infrequently since he and his wife quit royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said that the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to step back as senior royals. 

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The BBC noted that there had been speculation that Harry was contemplating a move back to the U.K. However, those who know the prince insist he’s happy in California. He would like to spend more time in the U.K., though, to continue working with the charitable organizations there that he supports. He also wants to bring his family to the U.K. for visits but is worried about his security.

Prince Harry wants to bring his family to his homeland but is concerned about their safety. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex lost his taxpayer-funded personal protective security after he gave up his status as a working member of the royal family.

Insiders previously told People magazine that Harry is preparing to appeal a court ruling that upheld the decision to deny him security. He wants to reinstate his security to allow more flexible visits to the U.K. for himself, his wife and their two children.

The sources claimed that the issue plays “a crucial role” in his ongoing estrangement from his father, King Charles. Sources claimed that the monarch stopped taking his son’s phone calls.

The Duke of Sussex detailed his rift from the royal family in his 2023 memoir. (Getty Images)

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Harry did manage a discreet trip to his home country for the memorial service of his late uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, on Aug. 29. People magazine reported that Harry stayed with his uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, at Althorp, the Spencer family’s ancestral home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.