Breaking News: Prince Harry Addresses What He Was Banned from Doing as a Member of the Royal Family in Surprise Appearance….Read More

The Duke of Sussex shocked attendees at a venture capital summit in L.A. by appearing, unannounced, onstage.

Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Los Angeles yesterday, discussing fatherhood, service—and something he was never allowed to do as a British royal.

The Duke of Sussex shocked the crowd in attendance at a venture capital event, the Upfront Summit, in L.A. on February 27, as his appearance was unannounced. In one part of the speech, Harry acknowledged that, as a member of the royal family, he’s mostly apolitical: “I’m not one to be caught in the divide between left or right views, not cornered by a belief in blue or red,” Harry said. “Hell, I’ve never even been allowed to vote!”

Despite it not being against the law (save for the monarch), none of the members of the British royal family vote in U.K. elections. “This is principally to protect the apolitical nature of their support to the monarch, but also because, in the past, as royal dukes, many male members of the family were prevented by law from voting because they could sit as peers in the House of Lords,” Sky News’ Alistair Bruce explained, per Hello!.

When the royal family agreed to withdraw from exercising their rights to sit and speak in the House of Lords in 1999, it technically lifted the bar to vote in elections,” he continued—although it still doesn’t occur.

At the summit yesterday, Harry also addressed how his life was different since relocating from his native U.K. to the U.S., where his wife Meghan Markle hails from, in 2020. “The way that I answer the question of how we invest in our shared future is different now living in the U.S., to when I was living in the U.K. Why? Because before I moved, so much of my life revolved around charity. Since then, while my charities remain a core part of my life’s work, I’ve also been focusing on upstream solutions and prevention, driven by decisions and investments that address problems before they require fixing,” Harry said, per People. “Still, I’ve approached everything in my life through the lens of service.”

From my institutional role traveling the world to my decade of duties in the military, I saw the power of serving others firsthand,” he added. “My personal experiences overseas taught me that when you put others first, you build stronger, more sustainable systems. That’s true from Nigeria to Nepal, and from Sydney to Santa Barbara.”

Harry spoke about founding the Invictus Games—a multi-sport competition for wounded, injured, and sick veterans and those still serving in the military—in 2014, and his nonprofit The Archewell Foundation, which he shares with Meghan, “where we show up and do good for those who need it most, supporting social impact initiatives—including digital safety and education—all under the umbrella of protecting our collective mental health,” he said.

At one point, Harry assured the venture capital audience that he hadn’t “wandered into the wrong room,” and said both individuals and companies can invest in businesses “that are developing technological solutions to address the root causes of societal challenges.”

I’ve spent the last five years—sometimes publicly, but primarily quietly—investing in companies that align with my values and vision of a better tomorrow, companies that understand the power and significance of service,” Harry shared, adding that he was especially committed to causes that support everything from “mental fitness to carbon sequestration, early education to veteran employment.” (Meghan, too, has invested in a number of companies, like Cesta Collective, Highbrow Hippie, and Clevr Blends.)

Every business decision can reflect a commitment to serving others, whether it’s your customers, your community, or the planet,” Harry said. “That’s the future I see—companies that are designed not just for profit, but for an investment in a better shared future.”

Speaking of that investment, earlier in his remarks, Harry asked a poignant question: “How do we invest in our shared future to solve the challenges we face today as a divided society?”

Harry, who shares son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet with Meghan, continued, “As a dad, this has me constantly looking for solutions. As a man who was born into a life of service, I recognize that with power and a platform comes responsibility. And these days, I am determined to find and invest in solutions.”

Later, he brought up today’s children again, no doubt thinking of his own in the process: “In a world where technology is more embedded in our lives than ever before, it’s easy to forget the human aspect of it,” Harry said. “I’ve seen firsthand how technology can bring people together, but more often how it can divide and harm them, especially our children. And if we aren’t prioritizing the safety of our children, what does that say about the very industry that is shaping our world?”

It’s been a busy February for Harry, with his Invictus Games in Canada expanding into winter sports for the first time, and Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, As Ever, preparing to launch—along with her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan—next week.