Is Prince Harry Going to Get a Culture Shock in the U.S.?

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have officially left the royal family and are beginning their new life in a somewhat surprising place. The couple, who share son Archie Harrison, have chosen their new home base in Meghan’s home state of California.

While very few details are known about their new home, including what their house looks like and what neighborhood they are based in, speculation has been running rampant. It’s clear that the choice of Los Angeles was at least partially inspired by the fact that it is where Meghan’s mother lives. But some fans have been wondering if Prince Harry could end up struggling with culture shock. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lived in Canada for a while

After their announcement in January that they intended to step back as senior royals, Meghan and Prince Harry wasted no time getting their new lives underway. They promptly set up a temporary home base in Canada, where they had spent their winter vacation, and reportedly enjoyed rest and relaxation while out of the public eye.

Many fans believed that they would end up living in Canada on a more permanent basis, especially since Meghan had spent so much time in the country when filming her television series Suits. Although rumors flew, the couple refused to directly confirm their plans, remarking in their statement only that they planned to divide their time between the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, based on their recent actions, the state of California had been their endgame all along.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently moved to Los Angeles

In January, it was confirmed by several sources close to the couple that they would be locking down property in Los Angeles, California, close to where Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland lives. Prince Harry and Meghan again acted quickly, moving to Los Angeles just prior to the United States’ lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The couple has been in isolation since their move, and reports of their movements in California have been sparse. Still, there have been some early hints that perhaps, Prince Harry is beginning to regret choosing to live so far away from his family in the United Kingdom.

According to some sources, Prince Harry has not applied for dual citizenship, which could mean that he is not planning on living in the United States on a permanent basis. The same report reveals that Prince Harry misses his family dearly, especially his father, who was recently diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, although he has since recovered. 

Could Prince Harry experience culture shock in Los Angeles?

Prince Harry was born and raised in England, and it is where he retains strong family connections. As a recent interview with Lady Julie Montagu, an American who married into the British aristocracy reveals, this could mean trouble if he and Meghan plan on living in America for an indefinite period of time.

There are very basic differences between life in the United States as compared to life in England, Montagu points out. For one thing, Americans tend to be a great deal more open with their feelings and to live more informally. 

Prince Harry will undoubtedly struggle a little bit as he adjusts to a different way of life, as well as a completely different environment. As the story source states, this could mean that he suffers a bit of culture shock within the next few months.

Still, this change could end up being a good thing for Prince Harry, overall. “We’re very emotionally open, which I think for Harry is actually a really good thing,” Montagu said. “He’ll be able to talk about his feelings, probably more than he was able to talk about over here.”