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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ryan Merrifield

Prince Harry trying to lose similarities to Philip and make new persona, expert says

Prince Harry is desperate to distance himself from any similarities to his "legend of banter" grandad Prince Philip in favour of the "woke persona" he's adopted, it has been claimed.

In doing so, the Duke of Sussex is able to distance himself from "any wrongdoing or offence", royal expert Thomas Mace-Archer Mills said.

The founder of the British Monarchists Society said Harry, 36, is devising a "new persona" in the US after stepping back as a senior royal in a bid to brush his own gaffes under the carpet, he told The Daily Star.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away on April 9 after a lengthy hospital stay, was known for his one-liners, which often put him in hot water.

And Harry was also known for his sense of humour in the Firm, as well as occasionally completely missing the mark - including dressing up as a Nazi at a 'colonials and natives' party in 2005.

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Harry described Prince Philip as the 'legend of banter' (Getty Images)

"The Duke of Sussex has chosen to ignore and forget his less than favourable gaffes by burying them under several layers of political correctness and woke cushioning, in hope that his newly created persona will distance him from any wrongdoing or offence he caused when his gaffes were knowingly made," Mr Mace-Archer Mills said.

"Harry used to be like his grandfather, he had charisma, and charm - he was able to also use humour as a tool, but this is where the similarities end."

Mr Mace-Archer Mills said there is "nothing funny" about the Duke any more and he no longer appears capable of using humour in his favour as Philip did.

Harry was described as previously being a 'happy go lucky chap' (Getty Images)

"Not only have times changed, so has Prince Harry," he said.

The expert described Harry as previously a "lad's lad" and a "happy go lucky chap", but in recent months that appears to have been suppressed.

During his heartfelt tribute to Philip following his death, the Duke called his grandad "master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end".

Mr Mace-Archer Mills said: "If there were any aspirations on the part of Harry to be the heir to Philip's 'legend of banter', then those very aspirations are sadly misconstrued, misunderstood, and misguided - a failure.

"With the passing of Prince Philip, so went the last of the Windsor's great gaffes."

But while Harry's public appearances have been more sombre in recent weeks, including his recent appearance in Apple+ series The Me You Can't See, his lighter side has also been evident.

In February, prior to he and Meghan's bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, the Duke playfully joked with James Corden in LA for a segment on the Late Late Show.

At the time, royal staff were reportedly left feeling "emotional" after seeing the clips of him taking part in an obstacle course, calling at the Fresh Prince of Bel Air house and FaceTiming his wife.

And former employees were said to have been thrilled with the interview, with sources claiming that they caught a glimpse of the "old H" during his appearance.

Last week, however, he sparked outrage in his new homeland after describing the First Amendment - one of the country's most cherished founding principles - as "bonkers" during a podcast interview.

Mr Mace-Archer-Mills said it was an example of how previously Harry, who could "appeal to anyone" is now a "partisan, divisive, talking head that chastises and lectures his home nation and belittles his family".

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