Prince Harry faces flak for saying he doesn't know how long cancer-stricken King Charles has left to live
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Prince Harry is facing criticism for seemingly speculating about his father, King Charles' state of health, during an interview with the BBC on Friday, May 2, reported the Daily Mail.
The 40-year-old Duke of Sussex made the bombshell revelation in the interview that the 76-year-old British monarch, who has been fighting cancer since last year, has not been speaking to him on account of his legal troubles over security arrangements in the UK.
Prince Harry said he hopes for reconciliation with King Charles in BBC interview
Prince Harry stepped back from his royal duties and moved to the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children in March 2020, following which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures decided to scale down his protection when he would visit the UK.
Harry had launched a legal bid against the move, offering to pay for his security expenses himself, but the appeal was rejected by the court.
On that note, the Duke of Sussex told the BBC, "There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family. Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things, but... there's no point in continuing to fight anymore."
"Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff. It would be nice to reconcile," he added.
Prince Harry draws widespread criticism over remarks about King Charles
The remarks made by Prince Harry was considered unbecoming of him by many, including former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Alisa Anderson, who said, "That's going to cause real concern and more speculation in the media and the wider public about what his (Charles) diagnosis is, which is incredibly unhelpful going forward."
"What you don't want to do is have your private life played out in the media. So if you truly want reconciliation, you'll do it in private, not in a BBC News interview," she added.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believed Harry implied that his father could solve the problem he was facing, and shared, "He didn't say that exactly, because he said that his father would step aside and let the experts decide. But then, on the other hand, that implied that his father was part of the process that was against him."
"I think people will find it confusing because, in my opinion, it was confused," he added.
"He believes that the Royal household is completely poisoned against him. This is where you get the conspiracy aspect, you could even argue there is a fantasy aspect of it," continued Fitzwilliams. "He believes that there are very malign forces out to get him or out to get him and his family. He believes there are those who want him to be in a vulnerable state."
"From what Harry is saying, despite admitting that he has not spoken to his father for some time, I thought it sent out a bit of a mixed message, really. Is Harry suggesting that the King isn't as well as we are led to believe?" Majesty Magazine's managing editor, Joe Little, stated.
Describing the overall state as unfortunate, he continued, "I think for somebody who is seeking reconciliation with his father, his brother, and his family, his royal family as a whole, I think the very last thing that he should have been doing was talking publicly."
"He clearly feels aggrieved at the outcome of this legal action, but there is a great deal to be gained by maintaining a dignified silence — sadly, as we know from past events, this isn't Harry's way of doing things," further stated Little.
"Maybe lessons just haven't been learned from previous occasions where also silence would have been the very best thing to maintain," he claimed.
