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Prince Harry—adorable ginger, husband to Meghan Markle, stealer of hearts—keeps himself pretty damn busy on a day-to-day basis. Being a member of the royal family comes with tons of responsibilities, and though he’s not destined to be King of England like his older brother William, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have a big role himself. But, like, what does he actually do? What impact do all these fancy events, exotic excursions, and surprise appearances have on the world? Here’s a rundown.
He supports loads of charities
When he completed his military service in 2015, Harry took on a handful of charitable patronages. What does “charitable patronages” mean, you ask? Great question. Basically, the royal family lends their name to various charities in England to help give them publicity. And in addition to helping raise the profile of the organizations, the royal fam also donates their time to said charities.
Here’s how the royal family’s website explains the sitch: “Royal patronages add status to an organization, and visits and involvement from a Royal Patron can often bring much needed publicity.”
One of Harry’s patronages is WellChild, a charity that helps seriously ill children get out of the hospital and home to their families. Here’s a picture of him with Meghan Markle at one of WellChild’s events earlier this year.
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His other patronages include organizations that support HIV/AIDS awareness, African conservation, and mental health. Basically, the guy can do it all.
He also creates totally new charities
Not only does ol’ Harry help lend credibility and public exposure to charities that already exist, but he also creates new ones around issues he’s passionate about. For example, after serving 10 years in the British Armed Forces, Harry founded the Invictus Games Foundation, which helps further the interests of wounded or injured servicemen in the U.K.
The foundation does that in part through the Invictus Games, which happen roughly every two years. This year’s games were in Sydney, Australia, and Meghan and Harry went as part of their first royal tour.
Harry and William even set up their own foundation in ’09 called The Royal Foundation so they could pursue more “charitable ambitions,” as the website puts it. And Kate and Meghan later joined the foundation as patrons. It’s a family affair!
He represents his grandma, Queen Elizabeth, at various events, both domestic and abroad
Another part of Harry’s job is to rep his family (and his grandma in particular) at royal functions. In case you forgot, the royal family is actually the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which includes 53 countries around the world. That’s a lot of land to cover on your own, especially if you’re 92, like Queen Elizabeth.
That’s why Harry and Meghan just went on a 16-day tour of Australia, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand—to represent Queen Elizabeth and the monarchy abroad. They met with foreign leaders, gave inspiring speeches, and basically just showed face.
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Fun fact: As part of this work, Harry has visited all seven continents. Jealous? Yeah, same.
Harry is closely affiliated with different branches of the military
After spending ten years serving his country, the Armed Forces are understandably special to Harry, which is why he ardently supports military activities. According to the royal family’s website, Harry is Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy and Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Honnington. Fine, I’m not totally sure what those gigs specifically entail, but they sure do sound fancy!
A throwback, just because:
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He blesses your timeline on a daily basis
Okay, okay, this isn’t technically in his job description, but seriously, this man is a gift to planet Earth. I’ll send you on your way with some pictures to remind you why.
Getty ImagesChris Jackson
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Getty ImagesKirsty Wigglesworth – PA Images
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