He has often been regarded as the "spare" of the Royal heirs and sometimes - as even he admits - resentful of his fate. But a new documentary to be broadcast tomorrow appears to show that Prince Harry has found his place in the world.
In Prince Harry in Africa he returns to Lethoso, the South African country where he spent part of his gap year a decade ago, to see the progress made by his charity Sentebale.
In it he says he used to "bury his head in the sand" but now views life "very, very differently".
"I always feel like I need to make something of my life," he says. "I was fighting the system, going 'I don't want to be this person - my mother died when I was very, very young and I don't want to be in this position'.
"But now I'm just so fired up and energised to be lucky enough to be in a position to make a difference. The kids seem pretty happy with the place. You see the smiles on their faces, so I'm pretty chuffed."
In one touching scene he is reunited with Mutsu, a once-traumatised orphan who took a shine to him when they first met 10 years ago and who has grown into a smiling, confident teenager, thanks to the work of the Sentebale centre where he lives. Mutsu, 15, shows the Prince how the centre has thrived since his last visit.
"Look how big you are now," shouts Harry as they embrace. He says later: "It's great to see he's so happy. He's in charge of the garden. He's got a serious responsibility in life."
The Prince credits the charity's co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho - who like Harry lost his mother at an early age - with directing his teenage ambition to help people.
"He knew I had the passion to help in any way I could," says Harry. "And that at that stage I had no mechanism for starting a charity or to make more of an impact than literally being the ginger white prince that's come to try to make these kids laugh."