Prince Harry has spent the last four years forging a new life for himself in the US, but has been on a high-profile solo trip to New York without his wife, Meghan Markle

Prince Harry’s life has been a whirlwind of change over the past four years. The Duke of Sussex, 40, made the monumental decision to step down as a senior royal, leaving behind his upbringing, status and most heartbreakingly, his family. However, despite the emotional rollercoaster, it seems Harry may have turned a corner last week, reports OK!

He embarked on a high-profile solo trip to New York, without his wife Meghan Markle, focusing on his key interests: conservation, environmental issues and honouring his late mother’s legacy. This visit has demonstrated that Harry is successfully navigating the transition between his former and current lives a feat for which he deserves recognition, according to a top Royal expert.

“We have seen the old Harry again during recent events he’s attended in the UK and now in New York,” ex-BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK! “He is brilliant with the people he meets, especially the children, and I think it shows the family back home that he is still determined to continue his kind of service without all the royal trappings. If he wants to use his platform to do good, then we should applaud him for it.”

Despite having the option to simply relish his role as a doting husband to Meghan, 43, and a proud father to five year old Prince Archie and three year old Princess Lilibet, Prince Harry remains committed to utilising his public standing for the greater good. “There’s nothing to stop Harry having a pretty low-profile life now he is, after all, a multi-millionaire and I’m sure he could just live a life of idle pleasure in the Californian sunshine,” notes Jennie.

“However, he has chosen to use his platform to promote causes he cares about… to ‘serve’ even though he is not a working royal. I don’t think he’s trying to put noses out of joint, I think he’s just following his instincts, as well as his mother’s example. It’s no coincidence that he has taken up several of the causes she espoused. I think he feels a real vocation to carry on her work.”

The legacy of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was a significant motivator during Harry’s recent visit to New York. He concentrated on the efforts of the HALO Trust the charity that facilitated Diana’s iconic 1997 walk across an Angolan minefield and also marked the 25th anniversary of The Diana Award.

During his appearance at the 14th Concordia Annual Summit, Prince Harry took a moment to commend two of this year’s award recipients, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica. He expressed his admiration by saying, “I applaud you for having the confidence to be on this stage,” and shared a touching sentiment about his late mother: “I know my mother would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism is true to how my mother lived her life.”