(Photo Credit: Tim Rooke, Shutterstock)

Friends of Prince Harry are defending him after royal departure

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been embroiled in controversy this month over their decision to “step back” as senior members of the royal family. In a move denounced by many, the couple said they would be splitting their time between Britain and North America and focusing on charity work instead of official royal duties.

Amid the criticism, Prince Harry’s friend from his days in the British army, Glenn Haughton, came forward to defend the prince as “selfless” and a “loving father.”

“Let me tell you this because I know. PH is a soldier, veteran & servant who fought in Afghan in the cloth of our nation, quickly forgotten by our fleeting & fickle society. A selfless, loving father, brother & son that has given so much of his life to better the lives of others,” Haughton wrote on Twitter.

Another army friend, JJ Chalmers, said he believes Prince Harry is trying to protect his family, especially his infant son, Archie.

“I think the decision that he has made, at the forefront of that is to protect his family because that’s the number one rule is to be a father and to be a husband,” Chalmers said. “Any husband wants to protect their wife and any father wants to protect their children.”

For now, Meghan and Archie are in Canada, while Prince Harry is spending the week in Great Britain to host the Rugby League World Cup.