Prince Harry says he wants to reconcile but King Charles ‘won’t speak to me’ over security funding fight
LONDON, ENGLAND: Prince Harry has shared his desire to reconcile with the royal family following the dismissal of his legal appeal over personal security in the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex opened up about the strain this issue has put on his relationship with his father, King Charles, and the broader royal institution.
Prince Harry expresses hope for reconciliation with King Charles
In a new interview with BBC News on May 2, Prince Harry opened up about the ongoing fallout since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties in 2020, particularly surrounding his concerns for the safety of his family while in the UK.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore," Harry said.
He added, “Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has,” referring to King Charles, who is undergoing treatment following his cancer diagnosis in 2023.
The Duke revealed that his father “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
He noted that the matter “could be resolved” through the King, stating, “There is a lot of control and ability in my father's hands."
"Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary," he said during the interview, according to People.
Prince Harry shares deep longing for his homeland and UK’s cultural ties
Prince Harry acknowledged the fractured ties within the family and reflected on their past.
“There have been so many disagreements” between them, but he said he had “forgiven” his relatives.
After losing the appeal, Harry admitted, “For the time being, it’s impossible for me to take my family back to the UK safely."
He said, "I will continue on with a life of public service. So I will always support the charities and the people that mean so much to me.”
He also expressed sadness about what his children would miss out on. “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point, and the things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything, you know," Harry said.
He continued, “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done."
"I miss the UK, I miss parts of the UK. Of course I do. And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland," he said, per The Guardian.
Prince Harry expresses willingness to seek political help
Prince Harry said that the entire situation stemmed from decisions made under “a previous government,” and shared that he was told, “once people knew about the facts, that this is a good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up, and that is what it feels like.”
He confirmed his willingness to seek political help, stating, “Yes, I would ask the prime minister to step in.”
Discussing the outcome of the legal challenge, he said, “I would not have taken this this far if I did not have compelling evidence of facts that reveal why the decision was made."
Harry added, "I am sitting here today talking to you, where we have lost the appeal, but the other side have won in keeping me unsafe, so again there is a lot of question marks that a lot of people will have.”
Despite the rift, he added, “I could never leave the royal family,” but also made it clear, “I left the institution because at the end of the day, I had to.”
