Was Prince Harry Really Lost Before Meeting Meghan Markle?

Prince Harry's life these days is certainly different from the one he knew when he was younger. Along with essentially breaking from the royal family, he is now living California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet — and it's clear that he loves and protects his family fiercely. Beyond that, Harry works on behalf of worthy causes and uses his influence to make positive changes in the world.

Seeing all of the good that Harry and brother Prince William have done in their lives, their aunt, Sarah Ferguson, revealed what the late Princess Diana would have thought of her kids as adults. Chatting with the "Kyle & Jackie O" show, the Duchess of York explained her belief that Diana "would have been is very proud of her boys standing tall and firm," she said. "They're very like her."

However, before Meghan came along, Harry's life often seemed to be filled with struggles and scandal, making headlines for his behavior instead of his military career and philanthropy. Just consider the fact that he allegedly spent a day in rehab in 2002 because his dad, Prince Charles, wanted to address his son's use of drugs and alcohol. Two years later, Harry got into a physical incident with paparazzi, according to The Guardian, and, even as late 2012, was photographed naked while playing strip-poker in Las Vegas, per TMZ. 

Frankly, it seems like Harry was once on an iffy path that was leading him down a rocky road. That's perhaps why one royal expert had something interesting to say about Harry's life before he met and married his wife.

Before Meghan Markle was a part of Prince Harry's life, he "was a very angry young man," Princess Diana's biographer Andrew Morton explained on the Podcast Royal (via the Daily Mail). Going on to point out that the prince "didn't seem to have a compass" and "didn't know which way to turn" years before meeting Meghan, he noted that Harry "was struggling to find himself and struggling with the loss of his mother," Princess Diana. Things obviously changed, though, when Harry connected with the "Suits" star in 2016 (later marrying in 2018). That's partly because Meghan "insisted" that he go to therapy to deal with his anger — and to actually face the issues that were perhaps causing his problematic behavior.

The prince himself revealed on "The Me You Can't See" that it was a fight with Meghan that sparked her suggestion, per Elle. When he did go, Harry explained, his therapist noted he was "reverting to 12-year-old Harry," the age he was when his mother died. When he reacted to that claim by feeling "ashamed and defensive," the professional explained that they weren't trying to insult him, but instead were "expressing sympathy and empathy" for him because of what he'd been through — and the feelings he "never processed" or was "allowed" to express. "All of a sudden now it's coming up in different ways as projection," the therapist stated.

Seeing that Harry and Meghan are now in a great place, it's clear that therapy has worked for him — just like it has for other stars.