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Prince Harry tells Hoda Kotb why the US is more home than the UK now

In an exclusive interview with Hoda Kotb, the Duke of Sussex talked about how California feels more like home to him than his native England.

As a member of the British royal family, Prince Harry is synonymous with the United Kingdom, but he now thinks of the United States as home.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have made Santa Barbara, California, their family's home since breaking away from their duties as senior members of the royal family two years ago.

Harry, 37, spoke in an exclusive interview with Hoda Kotb on TODAY Wednesday about starting a new life on the West Coast and raising children Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 10 months, after living his entire life in the U.K.

"Home for me, now, for the time being, is in the States," he said. "And it really feels that way, as well. We’ve been welcomed with open arms and have got such a great community up in Santa Barbara."

As a member of a family that has been a symbol of the U.K. for centuries, he is well aware how that may sound to others. However, it's not strange for him to say his wife's native California feels more like his home.

"No," he said. "But I’m sure it’ll become a thing."

Harry and Meghan, who are in the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, recently made their first joint trip together to visit his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, since they stepped away from their royal duties two years ago. Harry attended the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021, but Meghan, who was pregnant with Lilibet, did not.

The queen turns 96 on Thursday, and then will have a second celebration in June to mark 70 years since she ascended to the throne. Harry has not determined yet if he and his family will make the trip to London for the Queen's Platinum jubilee celebration.

"There’s lots of things, security issues and everything else," he said. "So this is what I’m trying to do - trying to make it possible that I can get my kids to meet her."

While Harry has carved out a new life in the Golden State, he has missed his royal family in London.

"I think especially over the last two years, for most people, have we not missed their families?" he said. "The inability to maybe get home and see them? Of course. That’s a huge part of it."

Harry met with his father, Prince Charles, for 15 minutes at the queen's insistence before his visit with her, according to NBC News royal commentator Daisy McAndrew. Harry's older brother, Prince William, was away with his family on a ski vacation.

"We do think that relations are still pretty poor between the two brothers," McAndrew said on TODAY Monday.

Hoda asked Harry if he misses his father and brother.

"For me, at the moment, I’m here focused on these guys and these families and giving everything I can, 120% to them to make sure that they have the experience of a lifetime," he said, speaking of the Invictus Games, a Paralympics-style event he founded for wounded military veterans.

"That’s my focus here. And when I leave here, I go back, and my focus is my family, who I miss massively."

His address may have changed, but Harry sees his mission as the same.

"From my wife’s point of view, this is a life that she signed up for, and we committed doing together as a couple forever," he said. "Because of the circumstances, we’ve now moved that life of service to the States, and we’ll continue to do what we were doing before. So, no, nothing’s changed for us. It’s just a little bit more complicated to have to sort of restart."

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