Prince Harry claims that he just the “typical guy” who wants to “help fix things” by continuing the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, in his latest video appearance as part of National HIV Testing Week. However, thesestatements are both hypocritical and tone deaf. It’s unlikely that Princess Diana would have ever supported his decision to abandon his brother and the royal family in order pursue wife Meghan Markle’s delusions of grandeur in Hollywood.

In yet another video appearance from his mansion in the ultra-exclusive neighborhood of Montecito, California, Prince Harry had a conversation with rugby star Gareth Thomas about National HIV Testing Week. 

During their talk, Prince Harry shared about the legacy of his mother’s groundbreaking work in regard to HIV/AIDS, a disease that ravaged the gay community especially in the late 1980s and 1990s, and seemingly implies that he still believes he’s carrying on his mother’s legacy.

The former royal said, “I could never fill her shoes, especially in this particular space, but because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue…it’s a converging of all these different pieces. …

“Once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, I certainly can’t turn my back on that. Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.”

It’s a nice sentiment, but it rings rather hollow. 

The place where Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, could have been most effective at evoking change was within the realm of the royal family, where they had the backing of the British government and support from a variety of institutions. 

If they had stayed with the monarchy, Harry and Meghan could have traveled the world and lifted up causes near and dear to their heart, and the world would have listened. He could have had a role that changed the royal family and perhaps the world. 

He is just a “typical guy” after all who just “wants to help.”

Instead, Prince Harry followed his wife’s urging and relocated to California where they could hopefully try to make as much money as humanly possible to fill their own coffers, while paying lip service and given a small donation to a charity when it suited them. It also has the added benefit of allowing Meghan to finally try and break into Hollywood’s a-list, a goal which had eluded her while working as an actress. 

This is not what Diana envisioned for her younger son, who she always hoped would stand by Prince William’s side as the older son navigated the complexities of eventually being the Prince of Wales and then King. 

Though Diana may have had her differences with members of the royal family and the dreaded men in grey, she deeply supported the monarchy and wanted her son to reign as king. 

Hollywood Harry is not what she had in mind, especially since the entire scheme is being directed by his wife and she’s taken him out of the protective palace bubble. As a result, Harry looks increasingly like delusional and hypocritical fool on the international stage. One memorable example is when he called the United States First Amendment “bonkers” and recently he claimed to struggle with “burnout,” despite never working a real job a day in his life. 

Diana probably wouldn’t recognize the Harry that she sees and would likely be disappointed in her son.

But as long as Meghan can finally attend the Oscars and she can make mega millions off the back of Harry’s position and the royal family, that’s all that really matters now.

Charity is incidental, and seemingly the lowest priority for the Sussex’s. That’s why this conversation and Harry’s claims that he wants to continue his mother’s charitable ring false. If he really wants to help others, it starts at home.