The duke is having his own ‘annus horribilis’…

The Duke of Sussex was the subject of a new documentary, Prince Harry: My Terrible Year, that suggested he’s having his very own ‘annus horribilis’.

Experts came together to discuss the scandalous and controversial moments from the royal’s six months of 2025 – and they didn’t hold back.

Harry and wife Meghan Markle have made headlines over the past few months, from a plea to reconcile with the royal family to losing a court battle. The couple stepped down as senior members of The Firm to start a new life in America in 2020. However, some argue it hasn’t worked out for them so far…
Prince Harry was subject to a new documentary that claimed he’s having a ‘terrible year’ (Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images)

Prince Harry: My Terrible Year documentary airs on Channel 5

The Channel 5 documentary aired the weekend (August 9), and explored if the Duke of Sussex is having his own annus horribilis – a term the late Queen Elizabeth II used to describe her own experience in 1992.

It looked at the struggles the royal faced in the first half of 2025. From losing his lengthy court battle over taxpayer funded security to pleading for his father to speak to him in a BBC interview. Looking at Donald Trump’s harsh remarks, stepping down from his Sentebale charity and every other controversy Harry battled, royal commentators discussed in ‘My Terrible Year’ whether it’s set to be a bad year for the prince.

The documentary is claiming Harry is living through his own ‘annus horribilis’.

The Duke of Sussex has been contacted over the claims in the show.

The royal took aim at his sister-in-law in his memoir Spare (Credit: Chryslene Caillaud/Psnew/ZUMA Press/Cover Images)

Prince Harry ‘crossed the line’ with Kate Middleton comment

In the documentary, Prince Harry: My Terrible Year, biographer Ingrid Seward slammed the Duke of Sussex for criticising Kate Middleton in what he said about her in his biography Spare.

She said: “He rubbished Kate for money he didn’t even need – that will not be easily forgiven.”

Former BBC correspondent, Michael Cole, told Times Radio that William isn’t ready to forgive Harry and Meghan over their remarks about his wife.

He said recently: “His younger brother Harry has done something which William will find extremely hard to forgive….men don’t like their significant other being insulted.

“I’m afraid Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have said unkind, cruel, unrealistic, and untrue things about the Princess of Wales, Kate.

“That will come very hard for William… before Harry was engaged to Meghan, he was very close to Kate. He was always in their apartments at Kensington Palace.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left The Firm in 2020 (Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images)

Sussexes aren’t ‘talented’

Commentators also took aim at the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes attempt to carve their own path after leaving The Firm.

Tom Quinn, author of Yes Ma’am, The Secret Lives of Royal Servants, commented over their failures in Hollywood. He said over the pair: “Meghan and Harry really aren’t making a success and it is because they think they’re really talented, when actually they’re not, one is an actress and one is an ex-royal, they’re not directors or producers.”

Another added: “His Polo documentary didn’t perform well and that was a knock. He thought they were interested in him at the start but it turns out they were only interested in his revelations.

“He’s trying to find freedom and it keeps falling flat – it’s very difficult for him.”

With reports surfacing their $100 million Netflix deal won’t be renewed, experts believe Meghan Markle is better position to recover from the blows than Prince Harry in the My Terrible Year documentary.

Journalist Bidisha Mamata said: “There is a difference in this couple’s central levels of resilience, Meghan Markle grew up without any privilege whatsoever, she was a jobbing actress, she had to work in this very cutthroat and sleazy industry which could be very fair.

“Meghan will be fine, I think she will cut ten or 20 deals and make one of them stick. Prince Harry doesn’t have his wife’s resilience or her level of attack, or her idea of ‘if this doesn’t work, I’ll try another thing’, he doesn’t have her ability of going to the boardroom and saying ‘here’s 20 other things we could have a go at’.”
Experts called the Duke of Sussex’s 2025 his ‘annus horribilis’ (Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images)

Annus horribilis

1992 consisted of 12 months the late monarch would rather forget. During a speech at Guildhall on November 24, the late Queen was marking the 40th year of her on the throne. But instead of looking back over the past four decades she called the year as ‘annus horribilis’.

She said: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis’.”

Why was it so bad? She suffered a series of personal disasters – three of her children separated from their partners, scandal rocked the royal family, Diana’s bombshell memoir was published, Charles’ infidelity exposed, and her childhood home caught fire. The phone call between Charles and Camilla was out in the open, Sarah Ferguson’s topless photos made it into the tabloids and for the first time The Firm proved it was no longer untouchable.

“No institution, city, monarchy, whatever, should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t,” she added.

“But we are all part of the same fabric of our national society and that scrutiny, by one part of another, can be just as effective if it is made with a touch of gentleness, good humour, and understanding.”