Prince Harry has stepped down as BetterUp’s chief impact officer but will remain with the US mental health and coaching business as a senior adviser, with a focus on projects for some of its largest corporate customers.

The change comes less than three months after the Duke of Sussex returned to live in the UK. BetterUp’s chief executive, Alexi Robichaux, said the new arrangement would give Harry more time for investments, business opportunities and charitable work.

Robichaux said it would allow the duke “more time to grow his portfolio of investments, pursue new business opportunities, and continue his support of philanthropic causes close to his heart”. He said Harry would focus on “key projects with some of our largest enterprise customers”.

The distinction is significant: Harry is changing his responsibilities rather than leaving the company. BetterUp’s announcement describes a continuing relationship centred on selected customer projects, alongside greater scope for his interests elsewhere.

Harry joined BetterUp in 2021, weeks after his and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey and the year after they moved to America. Defending the appointment at the time, Robichaux described him as “one of the fiercest advocates for mental wellness or mental fitness for many years”.

Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK with their children at the end of August. They remain non-working royals while undertaking their own public engagements, with a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels planned for Tuesday.