Reading the Stars: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Welcome to my “Reading the Stars” series! One of the ultimate goals of this community is to present astrology in a way that is palatable to all and to present it in a format that is a bit more engaging than the pedantic tutorials that can come with learning any subject as extensive as this one.
I think one of the best ways to learn about astrology is to apply it to the lives of people you know; who better to start with than royalty, the celebrities of celebrities! I’ve recently read Spare by Prince Harry and, while it wasn’t the best book I read in 2023, it was certainly revelatory. This series will be updated periodically (more or less as I research a subject); your input on who I cover and how is very welcome!
Claim to Fame, Career, & Identity
Midheaven (MC)- the beginning of the 10th House; your legacy, reputation, career, and your highest potential
10th House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your Midheaven; the role you take in establishing your reputation and legacy
MC Aspects- how your reputation, career, and legacy interact with other areas of your life and other aspects of your personality
Sun- your identity, looks, general vibe and the way you interact with the world
Ascendant (Asc)- the beginning of the 1st House; the way your life plays out and the role you take on when around others or when conscious of yourself
Chart Ruler or 1st House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your Ascendant; the role you take in establishing your life and in creating your public persona
Asc Aspects- how the way you live your life and the way you present yourself to others interact with specific areas of your life and your overall personality
Sun/Moon/Asc Interaction- the “Big Three”, but far more in depth; how your identity, inner self and your typical role interact to form your core personality
Remember when William was the hot one?
Cap Ascendant [1], Sag Ascendant [0]
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Prince Henry Charles Albert David, Duke of Sussex KCVO was born on September 15, 1984 to Prince Charles of Wales (Now King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer. He is a well-known member of the British Royal Family, as he is the second-oldest son of the reigning monarch. Being that close to the throne (only 5th in the line of succession), Harry has always been in the public eye; his brith was met with countrywide applause and his first pictures publicized by newspapers across the world world. One would not expect someone whose entire life has been so public to have their Midheaven in the most secretive sign of Scorpio.
This placement places an aversion from the spotlight on Harry. The very idea of royalty demands the person to be perceived, revered and measured against, so Harry’s Scorpio Midheaven was never very happy with all this attention. This placement likes the holder to be quietly powerful, rejecting the eyes of others and to be transformed by the forces of life. Being ruled by the planet Mars, his legacy, career, and family life take on the energy of his Mars placement. With his Sagittarius Mars in his Eleventh House, he takes on the role of bringing about social opposition, especially concerning his job and his family’s legacy (which are one in the same). This placement indicates that he’s likely to oppose the ideals, morals or politics of those around him. He’s never been one for the glitz and glamour of being royal and with Sagittarius’ energy, this opposition will likely express itself as a matter of geography. This points toward Harry moving away from his family just as he moved away from his career as a working royal.
This placement is almost the celestial embodiment of rebellion, rebellion being a trait that the British press would certainly attribute to this prince. On the same token, this may be why he’s addressing his family in the form of a self-authored book. Harry mentions that both of his parents had quasi-autobiographies where someone else “primarily” wrote the book with “very close inside sources”. Even Queen Camilla had her own. Harry is choosing to tell his story, not via well-curated articles that his team feeds to the press, the way the rest of his family operates, but in the form of self-written book, more or less named after him with his face featured in extreme close up on the book jacket.
Harry himself would tell you that he’s not particularly concerned with rules, and that is evident with Mars as his Tenth House Ruler.
Finally, Harry’s already notable fame was unfortunately magnified by the tragedy of his mother’s death. With his Taurus Moon in the Fourth House in opposition (☍) with his Scorpio Midheaven, his mother also wasn’t one to enjoy the spotlight, or rather, wasn’t one to thrive in it. Diana is arguably still more famous than her ex-mother-in-law and ex-husband, and this fame came with the burden of media scrutiny, scrutiny that Harry felt he inherited from his mother upon her untimely death.
As for how he sees himself, Harry would likely identify with his work and how he makes an impact on the world around him. This is due to his Virgo Sun in his Eighth House, indicating that he likely works with the taboo on a daily basis, hoping to bring attention to the unspoken and ignored . “Taboo” has many levels to it, but as it concerns the socially upstanding royal family, there are a great deal of subjects that are considered off limits.
In this case, Harry works with most of the causes that his mother championed. Harry does a lot of work (and spends a lot of vacation time) in Africa. It is there that he works with matters that were often shunned by other family members, like childhood mortality, HIV/AIDS, and wildlife conservation.
His brother, William, also works in these same causes, but one must wonder if the heir would have been allowed to undertake such matters if their mother hadn’t championed these causes thirty years ago.
His Sun’s placement also indicates that he works for everything he has and to pay off what he owes. This has manifested in his life more recently with his split from the royal family. While I’m sure he still has a substantial inheritance, he no longer receives money from his birthright, his inborn title as a Prince. As opposed to the rest of his family, his income isn’t guaranteed and in order to have more money coming in, he does have to go to work.
If I may insert my own feelings about the prince, his voice (that is the way he writes or was edited, not the sound coming from his mouth) is one of analytical and precise critique. He describes his brother’s (and to his credit, his own) baldness in great, almost hilarious detail. He describes the world around him in measurement of detail: with almost textural recall of walls, the way the room smelled and how the treat he was eating tasted. He has this hyperawareness and intense vulnerability that, he wrote, was most poignant at pivotal moments in his life. This is great for experiential memory, but I’d also imagine that it would give traumatic events the ability to inflict a more visceral and long-lasting effect on him.
Harry inherited his grandmother’s Capricorn Ascendant. Interestingly enough, when the sign of Capricorn is split into 3 decans (one ruled by Capricorn, the second by Taurus and the third by Virgo) Harry’s Capricorn Ascendant is in the Taurus Decan, while his Taurus Sun Grandmother’s Ascendant is in the Virgo Decan, mirroring Harry’s Sun. While this adds to their close relationship, Harry’s Ascendant sign shows up mostly via his chart ruler, or the planet that rules his Capricorn Ascendant.
His Scorpio Saturn in the Ninth House acts as his chart ruler and because of it, he has a need to expand his boundaries in order to experience and learn more. This is no big deal for most royals who have an actual duty to travel and integrate the cultures of others into their lives. In fact, this placement makes it likely that the holder will be parented abroad or with a lot of travel that transformed their point of view. Harry’s formative years were spent at Eton College, though he says he never truly settled in there. Perhaps this expression has shaped a great deal of his life, as he hasn’t ever really lived anywhere for too long, going from royal residence to royal residence, then taking two tours in the military, then fleeing from his home country in order to save himself and his wife.
Additionally, this placement would make Harry one to take risks, especially in the area of his education and world experience. I’d argue that his lawsuit against the British press was pretty risky, but one may also say that of his pursuit of an American-born, divorced, biracial actress (that’s right, the British royals clutched their heirloom pearl necklaces 4 distinct times there) as a huge risk, one that ultimately worked out in his favor. The intensity of Scorpio may have shown itself in the scorn Harry faced for his attempts to work and live abroad. The ninth house wants you to grow beyond your limitations, but Saturn’s presence there was a reminder for him not to go too far.
With his Capricorn Ascendant in the Taurus Decan, Harry is the stable one in the group, the guy with a plan. Though, this may sound counterintuitive to his public image as the “naughty one" (see his Scorpio Midheaven), those who are actually in acquaintance with him would likely count on him as a calming presence that offers rational input. This is especially true with his chart ruler being in a complimentary aspect with his Ascendant, giving the Ascendant and its ruler a beneficent synergy.
In this case, his Scorpio Saturn in the Ninth House is sextile (∗) his Capricorn Ascendant, so his need to expand his boundaries to experience and learn actually works well with his wisened demeanor, giving him all the tools he needs to brave the wilds and create his own success (which he has been, more or less, forced to do). Additionally, the scorn from his family and some of the British public for his married, American, fatherly era are fueled by his notoriety and wealth. Many non-British (especially American) people argue that he doesn’t deserve our pity or attention, being so rich and famous. On the other side of the pond, his own countrymen say he’s using his title of Prince and his peerage as Duke of Sussex to continue to draw in notoriety and wealth in a foreign country.
Looking at his “Big Three” signs, Harry is a Virgo Sun, Taurus Moon, Capricorn rising, giving him a nice Earth trine with the luminaries and point that have the largest effect on his core personality. If he’d commissioned a reading from me, I’d call this section “The Hardworking Breadwinner Creating Success”. With this Earth trine, Harry is all about the sharing of resources, maintaining a stable income, and constantly seeking material comfort. These are a huge focus for his personal life. Interestingly, Harry shares his Big Three with another famous royal redhead: his distant first cousin, several times removed, Queen Elizabeth I of England, who also had contention with her father, was shunned as the spare at one time or another, and who broke free of oppression (I will note a rich and comfortable oppression) to earn their own respective freedoms.
The family resemblance is astounding.
Credit: After Levina Teerlinc, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Additionally, all this Earth indicates that his hard working tendencies benefit his need for material security. He is willing to work hard to achieve the life he wants, even if he doesn’t necessarily have to. He does have a need for comfort with his Moon sign, but that works well with his rather established life, as both a Capricorn rising (who will always find status and success, in one form or another) and as a Prince (who was born into the good life). Despite his status, he likely has a tendency toward modesty that is bolstered by his austere demeanor. This would make him very approachable once you get past his more stolid look (I also have a Capricorn Ascendant and I, too, have the face).
Finally, his need for stability is expressed in an outwardly critical way that others can perceive as cold or uncaring. He would be most comfortable when using his ability to serve others to establish stability and comfort, especially in a long-lasting way. This has shown up in multiple ways in his life, and will be covered by the rest of this article.
Family, Ancestors, Close Friends & Partners
Sun- looks inherited from your ancestors, your father or more publicly influential parent
Moon- your heritage, your emotional inheritance, your mother or more privately influential parent
4th House- your home life, how you were nurtured, your mother’s effect on your life, your maternal family and their legacy, foundation of your childhood
4th House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your mother’s effect on your life; the role you take in defining the foundation of your childhood
10th House- your sense of authority, how you were disciplined, your father’s effect on your life, your paternal family and their legacy, goals of your adult life
10th House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your father’s effect on your life; the role you take in reaching the goals of your adult life
IC Aspects- how your upbringing, home life, and family legacy interact with other areas of your life and other aspects of your personality
Saturn- your grandparents, your more authoritative parent, your relationship with boundaries and discipline
Of course, we can’t have a prince without a king. Harry’s father is the new King of the United Kingdom, King Charles III. With Harry’s Virgo Sun in the Eighth House, he views his father as a meticulously poised mystery; a well-polished enigma. This placement indicates a father that may have worked in nefarious or secretive arenas. “The Firm” as the family calls their royal establishment, is known to keep some things secret while putting a spotlight on more amiable matters, effectively manipulating the public’s view of them. As the current wearer of the crown, Charles is the center of all these calculations, and perhaps so are all the people in the direct line of succession.
Harry never saw his father as especially attentive, despite Virgo’s ability to pay rapt attention to things. This is likely due to Harry’s Eighth House Sun, making him as much of a mystery to his father as his father is to him. Any attention Harry was shown by his father was perceived as critical and accusatory in nature. Harry may have felt like he was living under a microscope at times when living with his father.
Making up for that area of disconnect and mistrust, Harry’s Taurus Moon in the Fourth House, is a clear indicator of his mother’s presence (and her inheritance) helping Harry maintain his quality of mind and life. Having the planet of the mother in the house of home being influenced by the sign of money made Diana his breadwinner and his the main blueprint for his work, even today. Diana represents much more than financial stability for Harry though, as this placement indicates a deep emotional connection with one’s mother. Though he may have seen her as a bit stubborn or materialistic with Taurus’ influence, his mother was able to provide him with both material comfort and emotional support, even beyond her untimely passing.
This placement also indicates a deep emotional tie to his family. I’m not sure of Harry’s relationship with his maternal family, but he is very vocal about the family that he and his wife have created. Taurus’ influence on both his Moon and his Fourth House, indicates a great deal of family wealth, stability and possessions, which is obviously linked to his status as a Prince of the United Kingdom, though his mother is also descended from landed nobility.
The Lord of his Fourth House, Venus lies in his Eighth House, indicating that home is a complicated concept for him, something he notes in his memoir. His sense of home will constantly be evolving, exhibited in his aforementioned moving from royal palace to royal residence to holiday home. This even has shown itself more recently, having him move countries to find a home with his new family. This placement is also supported by the fact that he’s not very connected to his family history, another note he made about himself.
“The Spare, the Heir, and the One with the Crown Hair”
Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Harry’s Scorpio Tenth House, adds another layer of secrecy to his connection with his tenth house parent, in this case, his father. Scorpio and the Eighth House are linked, so Harry’s view of his father is doubly touched by the mystery of Scorpio and the intimidation of Pluto and Mars (Charles is also a Scorpio Sun, by the way). The tenth house can also tell us about how we were raised, authoritatively. In this case, Harry’s early emotional foundation saw that he was very aware of his parents’ split. He also knew of the rumors regarding his parentage, indicating that he grew up hearing a great deal of vitriol thrown around about himself and his family.
As far as how the matters of his Tenth House have affected his personality and personal sense of boundaries, Harry’s Scorpio Saturn in the Ninth House indicates that he has a need to expand his boundaries in order to experience and learn more born from his family’s need to travel for their roles as royals.
This placement also indicates that one would have thoroughly trained authority figures, especially teachers. His sense of authority comes from his or someone else’s throughly done research. This is exhibited a lot in his life, from being nannied by his father’s old nanny to being instructed by some of the best educators the UK had to offer.
Mercury- your siblings, your close friends, your sense of humor, the way you talk to others
3rd House- your siblings’ effect on your life, your sense of growing up, your neighborhood (former and current), common themes of your school years and formative relationships
3rd House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your relationships with siblings and close friends; the role these people take in your lives and your role in theirs
Venus- your love language, your idealized partner, your sense of romance, how you form relationships
7th House- your love life, partner’s effect on your life, your sense of fairness, common themes of your one-on-one relationships
7th House Ruler- how you enact the energy of your Descendant; the role you take in the lives of others
Descendant (Dsc)- the beginning of the 7th House; the way your love life plays out and the role you take on when forming relationships with others or when conscious of your effect on others
Dsc Aspects- how your relationships, love life, and partners interact with other areas of your life and how the roles you take on to support these matters affect the other aspects of your personality
With his Mercury in the Eighth House, Harry’s relationship with his only sibling is similar to the one he maintains with his father; full of routine change and transformation. This explains how William went from Harry’s “beloved brother to [his] arch nemesis”. To be fair, he and William often fought when no one was around as children, as most siblings do. Harry felt that he wasn’t able to grieve with William at the loss of their mother, perhaps indicating a level of mistrust or caution towards his older brother.
As the two got older, though, their close relationship seemed to diverge a bit, allowing some darkness to fill in the cracks quickly spreading between the brothers. In fact, Will ignored Harry entirely when they were at Eton College together, telling Harry to pretend as if the two don’t know each other. With Virgo’s energy affecting Mercury, there lies a layer of mutual critique atop their already tenuous relationship. After graduation and upon accepting their titles as working royal, they often had to act as co-workers within the royal family and this seemed to add yet more distance between the two.
Upon both of their marriages and the fallout of Harry’s nuptials, in particular, their relationship soured entirely, leading to several heated arguments and one notable physical attack on Harry’s person by William. The deterioration of their relationship is supported by Harry’s Third House being led by the boisterous, confrontational sign of Aries. The ruler of this house is his Sagittarius Mars in the Eleventh House. This indicates that the conflicts with his brother would show themselves the most when either of them are abroad or when either of them are in college, supporting their split while at Eton and William’s aggression surrounding Harry’s foreign-born wife.
The Sussexes succeeding upon secession from the Royal Family Credit: Mark Jones, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On to brighter matters, Harry found love in one Meghan Markle, American actress, businesswoman and socialite. When looking for love we always look first to Venus. Harry has a well placed Libra Venus, though it isn’t very comfortable in his Eighth House. Quite literally, Harry found himself in the perfect relationship (perfect for him, anyway) with his Libra Venus, but this relationship found itself faced with one of the tougher houses, the house of transformation, apprehension, and death.
With this placement, Harry’s relationships are subject to constant growth and evolution, but this can become cyclical and tiresome. This was exhibited in each of Harry’s romantic relationships that failed due to the media’s aggressive information-seeking tactics. The only relationship able to maintain itself inside of the whirlwind of media attention was the one he built with Meghan, someone who could relate (very Libra) to the dark side of fame (very Eighth House).
If Venus represents Meghan in Harry’s life, Harry’s Cancer Seventh House would represent their life together. From reading his memoir, it seems that wherever Harry and Meghan landed, they made it their home. This would be very easy for him, as his signifiant other always makes him feel safe and secure. This placement also exhibits itself in Harry tying Meghan to his mother, noting their similarities.
One with Cancer in their Seventh House would find that they often find partners who can help them create a life that reminds them of their childhoods and a partner who shares traits with their mother. Harry has seemed to do just that, finding someone who he believes his mother would approve of and even like.
As for his best fit for a partner, Harry’s Virgo Juno in the Seventh House indicates that he needs a partner that will be a nearly perfect fit for his life, which makes a lot of sense considering how precisely planned his life is and how cautious he had to be as a prince. More importantly, he needs to see his partner as an equal, especially in their ability to work hard and serve others.
Luckily for Harry, his Fourth House Ruler is his Taurus Moon in the Fourth House, indicating that his partner will have their own stable foundation, especially financially. Meghan did, indeed, having a spot on a popular primetime show, not to mention her other business ventures. She also seemed to be happy in her own right, living a life that she would have been happy to continue had she not met Harry. This placement can also indicate having a highly emotional person in the relationship. Taurus’ influence may tie these emotions to one’s physicality, perhaps displayed by both lovers’ respective anxieties and mental health issues triggered by the public response to their union.
Back to Juno, she indicates that his partner will work in the beauty industry or use their beauty to work for them, as an actress would. And even with her no longer working as an actress, Juno’s seventh house placement makes it likely that Harry will work with his partner, as they did as working royals and continue to do via the Archewell Foudnation.
In conclusion, if there can be a down-to-Earth royal, Harry’s chart indicates that he’s the culprit. I really wanted to make Harry my first “Reading the Stars” subject because we share an Ascendant sign. I wanted to map our similarities, since we both also have a slightly askew Midheaven, falling in Scorpio and not the typical Libra Midheaven that most other Cap risings have. The shared, early losses of our respective mothers was something that connected me to him, and it was interesting to find other similarities while reading his memoir while reading his natal chart.
I hope you enjoyed this article. This is a very specialized and tailored version of what you’d receive in a chart reading; so if you enjoyed reading this, perhaps you’ll find something for yourself or a loved one in my reading shop!