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Prince Harry's 40th birthday marks the moment the royal scamp moves to middle age

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Prince Harry's 40th birthday marks the moment the royal scamp moves to middle age
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Prince Harry's 40th birthday marks the moment the royal scamp moves to middle age

2024-09-14 22:41 Last Updated At:22:50

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry was always something different.

From the moment he first appeared in public, snuggled in Princess Diana’s arms outside the London hospital where he was born in 1984, Harry was the ginger-haired scamp who stuck his tongue out at photographers.

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FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)

FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)

Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)

FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)

FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)

Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)

FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

He grew to be a boisterous adolescent who was roundly criticized for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party, and then a young man who gave up the trappings of royal life and moved to Southern California with his American wife.

Through it all, there was a sense that Harry was rebelling against an accident of birth that made him, in the harsh calculus of the House of Windsor, just “the spare.” As the second son of the man who is now King Charles III, he was raised as a prince but wouldn’t inherit the throne unless brother William came to harm.

Harry is turning 40 on Sunday. That's the halfway point in many lives, providing a chance to either dwell on the past or look forward to what might still be achieved.

For the past four years, Harry has focused mainly on the past, making millions of dollars by airing his grievances in a wildly successful memoir and a Netflix docu-series. But he faces the likelihood that the royal aura so critical to his image may be fading, said Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.”

“He is at a sort of crossroads,’’ Smith told The Associated Press. “And he appears to be struggling with how he wants to proceed.’’

It wasn’t always this way.

Six years ago, Harry and his wife were among the most popular royals, a glamorous young couple who reflected the multicultural face of modern Britain and were expected to help revitalize the monarchy.

Their wedding on May 19, 2018 united a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II with the former Meghan Markle, a biracial American actress who had starred for seven years in the U.S. television drama “Suits.” George Clooney, Serena Williams and Elton John attended their wedding at Windsor Castle, after which the couple were formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

But the optimism quickly faded amid allegations that Britain’s tabloid media and even members of the royal household treated Meghan unfairly because of racism.

By January of 2020, the pressures of life in the gilded cage had become too much, and the couple announced they were giving up royal duties and moving to America, where they hoped to become “financially independent.” They signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify as they settled into the wealthy enclave of Montecito, near Santa Barbara, California.

Since then, Harry has missed few opportunities to bare his soul, most famously in his memoir, aptly titled “Spare.”

In the ghostwritten book, Harry recounted his grief at the death of Princess Diana, a fight with Prince William and his unease with life in the royal shadow of his elder brother. From accounts of cocaine use and losing his virginity to raw family rifts, the book was rife with damning allegations about the royal family.

Among the most toxic was Harry’s description of how some family members leaked unflattering information about other royals in exchange for positive coverage of themselves. The prince singled out his father’s second wife, Queen Camilla, accusing her of feeding private conversations to the media as she sought to rehabilitate an image tarnished by her role in the breakup of Charles’ marriage to Diana.

The allegations were so venomous that there is little chance of a return to public duty, Smith said.

“He criticized the royal family in such a powerful and damaging way. You can’t un-say those things," she said. “And you can’t unsee things like Meghan in that Netflix series doing a mock curtsey. It’s such a demeaning gesture to the queen."

Harry, who agreed not to use the honorific HRH, or “his royal highness,” after he stepped away from front-line royal duties, is now fifth in line to the British throne, behind his brother and William’s three children.

While he grew up in a palace and is said to be in line to inherit millions of pounds on his 40th birthday from a trust set up by his great-grandmother, applied developmental psychologist Deborah Heiser thinks that, in many ways, Harry is just like the rest of us.

Like anyone turning 40, he is likely to have learned a few lessons and has a good idea of who his real friends are, and that will help him chart the next phase of his life, said Heiser, who writes a blog called “The Right Side of 40” for Psychology Today.

“He has had a very public display of what a lot of people have gone through,’’ Heiser said. “I mean, most people are not princes, but … they have all kinds of issues within their families. He’s not alone. That’s why he’s so relatable.’’

Of course, Harry’s story isn’t just about the drama within the House of Windsor.

If he wants to write a new chapter, Harry can build on his 10 years of service in the British Army. Before retiring as a captain in 2015, the prince earned his wings as a helicopter pilot, served two tours in Afghanistan and shed the hard-partying reputation of his youth.

Harry also won accolades for establishing the Invictus Games in 2014, a Paralympic-style competition to inspire and aid in the rehabilitation of sick and wounded servicemembers and veterans.

Harry and Meghan made headlines this year with their two international trips to promote mental health and internet safety. While some in British media criticized them for accepting royal treatment in Nigeria and Colombia, the couple said they visited at the invitation of local officials.

Harry has also made battling the British tabloids a central mission in the past few years and has sued them over old allegations they hacked his phone and spied on his private life. Harry’s ire at the tabloids, which he blames in part for his mother’s death and for driving him to the U.S., led him to buck family tradition and become the first senior royal to testify in court in more than a century, winning one trial with two more cases pending.

Prospects of reconciliation are unclear, though Harry did race home to see his father after Charles' cancer diagnosis. And in what may be seen as a tentative olive branch, the paperback edition of “Spare” slated for October has no additions — so nothing new to stir the pot.

But plainly at this point, Harry is thinking about his family in California. He told the BBC about the importance of his two young children, Archie and Lilibet.

“Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place,” the prince said in a statement released by his spokesperson.

FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)

FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)

Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)

FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)

FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)

Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)

FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, using the extraordinary powers of his office in his final hours to guard against potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration.

The decision by Biden comes after Donald Trump warned of an enemies list filled with those who have crossed him politically or sought to hold him accountable for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has selected Cabinet nominees who backed his election lies and who have pledged to punish those involved in efforts to investigate him.

“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”

The pardons, announced with just hours left in his presidency, have been the subject of heated debate for months at the highest levels of the White House. It’s customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term, but those acts of mercy are usually offered to Americans who have been convicted of crimes. Biden has used the power in the broadest and most untested way possible: to pardon those who have not even been investigated yet. The decision lays the groundwork for an even more expansive use of pardons by Trump and future presidents.

While the Supreme Court last year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, the president's aides and allies enjoy no such shield. There are fears that Trump or future presidents could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law.

Trump, who takes office at noon, has promised to, in his first moments as president, pardon many of those involved in the violent and bloody Jan. 6, 2021, attack, which injured roughly 140 law enforcement officers.

It’s unclear whether those pardoned by Biden would need to apply for the clemency or even accept the offer at all. Any acceptance could be seen as a tacit admission of guilt or wrongdoing, validating years of attacks by Trump and his supporters, even though those who have been pardoned have not been formally accused of any crimes.

“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said, adding that “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”

Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 40 years, including during Trump's term in office and later served as Biden’s chief medical adviser until his retirement in 2022. He helped coordinate the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and raised Trump's ire when he resisted the Trump's untested public health notions. Fauci has since become a target of intense hatred and vitriol from people on the right, who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights, even as hundreds of thousands of people were dying.

Mark Milley is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He later called Trump a fascist and detailed Trump’s conduct around the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. He said he was grateful to Biden for a pardon so he no longer has to worry about “retribution.”

Biden also extended pardons to members and staff of the Jan. 6 committee that investigated the attack, as well as the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee about their experiences that day, overrun by an angry, violent mob of Trump supporters.

The committee spent 18 months investigating Trump and the violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. It was lead by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Republican Liz Cheney, who later pledged to vote for Democrat Kamala Harris and campaigned with her. The committee’s final report found that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.

“Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions,” Biden said.

Biden’s statement did not list the scores of members and staff by name.

“These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden.

Biden, an institutionalist, has promised a smooth transition to the next administration, inviting Trump to the White House and saying that the nation will be OK, even as he warned during his farewell address of a growing oligarchy. He has spent years warning that Trump’s ascension to the presidency again would be a threat to democracy. His decision to break with political norms with the preemptive pardons was brought on by those concerns.

Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. He announced on Friday he would commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. He previously announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. In his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented spate of executions, 13, in a protracted timeline during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden is not the first to consider such preemptive pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in the violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office four years ago.

Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States,” as written in the pardon proclamation.

FILE - In this June 1, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump departs the White House to visit outside St. John's Church, in Washington. Walking behind Trump from left are, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - In this June 1, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump departs the White House to visit outside St. John's Church, in Washington. Walking behind Trump from left are, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - A video of Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley is shown as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - A video of Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley is shown as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

FILE - Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to accusations by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as he testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about the origin of COVID-19, on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 20, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to accusations by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as he testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about the origin of COVID-19, on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 20, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adjusts his glasses during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adjusts his glasses during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health, Dec. 22, 2020, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health, Dec. 22, 2020, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrives to speak about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrives to speak about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, right, listens during a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, right, listens during a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during opening statements during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during opening statements during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Nov. 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

File - President Joe Biden speaks at the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File )

File - President Joe Biden speaks at the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File )

FILE - U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, left, and Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges listen as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, left, and Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges listen as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during the presentation of his book "On Call" at Lincoln Theatre Friday, June 21, 2024, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during the presentation of his book "On Call" at Lincoln Theatre Friday, June 21, 2024, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - Retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - Retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

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