Prince Harry at the UK-Africa Investment Summit, London, 20 January 2020. Real photograph via Wikimedia Commons; see the provenance file for author and license.

Glossary

Twenty-five terms — military, royal, charitable, and media — that recur across this site, defined from the record.

Afghanistan tours

Harry’s two operational deployments: December 2007 – February 2008 (Helmand, forward air controller) and September 2012 – January 2013 (Camp Bastion, Apache co-pilot/gunner). See Sandhurst to Afghanistan.

Apache

The Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Harry qualified as a co-pilot/gunner in February 2012 and flew it operationally on his second Afghanistan tour with 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.

Archewell

The philanthropic and media organisation founded by Harry and Meghan in 2020: the Archewell Foundation (nonprofit), Archewell Productions (Netflix deal, September 2020), and Archewell Audio (Spotify deal, December 2020 – June 2023). See Archewell.

Army Air Corps

The British Army’s aviation branch, in which Harry retrained as a helicopter pilot from 2009. He served with 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment AAC.

Blues and Royals

The Household Cavalry regiment in which Harry was commissioned in April 2006; his parent unit for his first Afghanistan tour.

Captain

Harry’s rank on leaving the Army in June 2015. His honorary military appointments (e.g., Captain General Royal Marines) were relinquished under the January 2020 agreement and, in May 2024 reporting, the Colonel-in-Chief role of the Army Air Corps passed to the Prince of Wales.

Commonwealth Youth Ambassador

Role to which Harry was appointed at the April 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, championing youth voices across the 56-nation Commonwealth. See The Commonwealth Youth Role.

Duke of Sussex

The dukedom granted to Harry by Elizabeth II on his wedding day, 19 May 2018. Subsidiary titles: Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. See Titles & Styles.

Frogmore Cottage

The Windsor Home Park residence renovated for Harry and Meghan with £2.4 million of Sovereign Grant money; repaid in full by the couple (announced September 2020) under the step-back agreement. Their UK base until the lease ended in 2023.

Heads Together

The 2016 mental-health campaign launched by Harry with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aiming to end stigma around mental-health conversation. Harry’s April 2017 Mad World podcast interview was part of its launch-phase impact.

HRH (style)

“His/Her Royal Highness.” Under the January 2020 agreement Harry and Meghan no longer use the HRH style, though it was not formally removed. See Titles & Styles.

Invictus Games

The international adaptive-sport championship for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, founded by Harry (announced March 2014; first Games London, September 2014). “Invictus” is Latin for “unconquered,” from Henley’s poem. See The Invictus Games.

Invictus Games Foundation

The charity (UK-registered) that owns the Games brand, selects host cities and oversees delivery. Harry is its patron.

“Megxit”

A media coinage (from “Meghan” + “Brexit,” popularised by The Sun in January 2020) for the couple’s step-back from royal duties. This site uses the neutral term “step-back”; “Megxit” appears only when quoting coverage.

Montecito

The Santa Barbara County, California community where Harry and Meghan have lived since 2020.

Mountbatten-Windsor

The family surname used by Archie and Lilibet (and by Harry in certain contexts, e.g., on Archie’s birth certificate as reported). It combines the royal house name Windsor with Prince Philip’s family name Mountbatten, per the 1960 Order in Council.

Sandhurst

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where Harry trained as an officer cadet (May 2005 – April 2006). See Sandhurst to Afghanistan.

Sandringham Summit

The 13 January 2020 meeting at Sandringham between Elizabeth II, Charles, William and Harry that settled the terms of the step-back, announced 18 January 2020.

Sentebale

The charity co-founded by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 (“forget-me-not” in Sesotho), supporting vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana. See Charity Portfolio.

Sovereign Grant

The UK public funding mechanism for the monarch’s official duties, which funded Harry and Meghan’s royal work until 31 March 2020. They receive no public funding since.

Spare

Harry’s memoir, published 10 January 2023 (Random House; ghostwritten by J. R. Moehringer). The publisher reported it as the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time. Its claims are tested on Spare as Harry’s account vs. the verified record.

Sussex Royal

The couple’s former brand and Instagram handle (the 8 January 2020 statement was issued as “Sussex Royal”); retired in 2020 under the agreement with the Palace, which barred commercial use of the word “Royal.”

Travalyst

The sustainable-travel initiative Harry launched in Amsterdam in September 2019, bringing travel companies together on sustainability standards.

Warrior Games

The US adaptive-sport championship for wounded service members, which Harry attended in May 2013 and which directly inspired the Invictus Games.

WellChild

The UK charity for seriously ill children and their families, of which Harry was patron from 2007 to 2020.

Source notes

Definitions draw on royal.uk, the Invictus Games Foundation, Sentebale, the Ministry of Defence, Buckingham Palace statements, and the organisations’ own published materials.