Why do people see Prince Harry as 'young'?

[00100001]

So many people say that about him all the time.

He's nearly 40? I don't know anyone who would consider that a "young man".

Do people have an image of him of early 20s or something in their head do you think?

I used to work in a care home. I can promise you that all of my residents saw 30s as young.

I'd call them young

No they’re considered adults and treated as such in a way that doesn’t seem to apply to Harry.

I don't treat them any differently

Good post

I think a lot of people still remember him walking behind a coffin that had an envelope on it that said, in a childish hand, "Mummy". I know I do.

I was wondering the same thing. I'm the same age as Harry and am not described as 'young' - especially not as an excuse for bad behaviour or choices.

I think it’s the ‘Diana’s boys’ view of both him and William. They got fixed in the public consciousness as ‘young’ and I don’t think Harry has ever really shaken that off.

William married younger and has older children and both he and Kate come across as somewhat staid and middle aged and responsible (I am sure deliberately) even if Kate still looks like she’s early 30s at the most.

The media also liked to push the ‘cheeky chappie’ (so young) image when Harry was in favour. These days they take every opportunity to depict him as immature.

I think it is in M&H's interests to continue the 'young' narrative because people tend to more easily see young people as victims. Most people Harry's age are able to see a nuanced view of the world where they recognise that people have not always treated them well but also see the complex reasons for that and recognise, also, that others see the world differently. I genuinely think this is hard for Harry. That could be for reasons of trauma, personality, cognitive profile and/or growing up in extreme privilege in which people treat you as special. Whilst he is young compared to elderly people, it is not normal for a societal narrative to describe someone in that way so I personally don't think that explains it.

Do people generally feel sorry only for Harry for losing his mum young? William was only a couple of years older but seems to be overlooked it was his mum too.

I don’t really have much affiliation to either Prince but I can see that William does a lot of charity work on stigma busting MH issues and has set up a central campaign on this. I think that Inevitably that seems a more decent thing to do than repeat your own issues, on camera, for commercial fee.

Because he behaves like a toddler.

The media and the Royal Family have infantilised him - it’s how his ‘party boy’ behaviour was excused. It suited both these institutions because a) it built on the sympathy following his mothers death b) gave the papers something to write about (‘party prince’) and c) positioned William as the unquestionable, sensible heir.

Do you not know any elderly people OP?😁

My granny would refer to males in their 40s as 'boys'. She considered people to be 'young' well into their 60s.

I do find it weird when Meghan and Harry are referred to as "younger" and "new" when Meghan is older than Willam and Catherine and Harry only a couple of years younger. Its seems bizarre. I don't know if it something to do

Ja, du hast recht. Er ist sehr Alt

Aside from people thinking of him as 'the boy' whose mother died, there's a wider trend of calling people in their 30s 'young'. The Finnish prime minister is 37 but is often called a 'young woman'.

Among the general population, many people in their early to mid 20s (young adults) are trapped at home because of poor pay and high rent so they don't start doing things that used to be considered typical of young adults things- buy a house, get married, have children- until they are older.

I also think there's a weird culture that infantalises people for longer. E.G People celebrating their 26th birthday like it was their 16th

Because he behaves like a childish, stroppy teenager who, when he doesn't get his way, throws a tantrum and whines about how unfair everyone is being to him.

Exactly

he compares Meghan to his mother - it’s almost ike there is a surrogate element in their relationship.

hes nearly 40. That’s not old, but it is fast approaching middle age.

he is an adult. A fully grown (physically, if not intellectually) adult.

He’s a bit stuck emotionally

His life expectancy will be much higher than 80!

So he isn't quite half life yet!

@00100001 Could you put these sorts of threads in the Royal Family topic please?

I have it hidden to try to avoid the deluge of H&M bilge but then people keep posting it in chat/AIBU etc.

No.

Not old, not young. Just an adult. manAny given 38 year old would be just considered "a man" no young/old prefacing that.

You wouldn't hear on the news "A young man of 38 just won 5,000 KitKats in a raffle" it would be "A 38 year old man won 5,000 KitKats in a raffle"

The only time it might be reported as young is if he died tragically at 38. But that would be in the context of most people dying when they're 70+

feel free to report it to get it moved.

I agree people talk about him like he Is 19 years old on a gap year it's ridiculous!

true.

We don't seem to see 18-25+ year olds as actual adults anymore I've seen lots of people say (on MN Anyway) this age is the "transition" between childhood and adulthood.

But I'll bet if you said "Ok, we're taking away adult rights from them until they're 25" they'd be lots of complaints about how they're adults!