Prince Harry steps down as BetterUp chief impact officer after five years

Prince Harry has stepped back from his biggest business job in America. After five years as chief impact officer at BetterUp, the Duke of Sussex is now a senior adviser at the company.

The change comes only weeks after Harry returned to the UK with Meghan Markle and their children.

What happened?

BetterUp is a US-based coaching and mental health company. Harry joined it in 2021 as chief impact officer, a senior leadership role.

He is now moving into a senior adviser position instead. Reports say he earned around $1 million a year in the executive job, though that figure is reported rather than confirmed here.

How did we get here?

It goes back to January 2020, when Harry and Meghan announced they would step back as senior working royals. They said they would split their time between the UK and North America.

In March 2021, Harry took the BetterUp role. It became one of his highest-profile jobs after leaving royal duties.

Why is everyone talking about it?

The timing is hard to miss. Harry is back in the UK with his wife and children, and the move has put the spotlight on what he plans to do professionally next.

British media have also linked the news to recent comments from the duke. Weeks ago he said he would always be a royal and signalled a wish to heal the rift with his family.

He was also seen at a low-key Remembrance Sunday appearance in the UK. That is the day Britain honours its war dead.

What's next?

A senior adviser role usually means less day-to-day work than an executive post. How much time Harry will give to BetterUp in his new position has not been made clear.

What he does next, and where his family will be based, is still an open question. For now, the move shows how his working life is shifting as he spends more time back in Britain.