The Duke of Sussex has claimed that his father, the King, is refusing to speak to him due to the ongoing legal row over security arrangements during visits to the UK, though he expressed hope for a reconciliation within the family.
In a candid interview with the BBC, following his defeat in the Court of Appeal over his right to taxpayer-funded protection, Prince Harry, 40, said, “This, at the heart of it, is a family dispute.”
When asked whether he had sought the King’s influence over the case, Harry said he had not asked his father to intervene, but instead urged him to “step out of the way and let the experts do their job.” The comment is likely to aggravate existing tensions between the Duke and senior members of the Royal Family, particularly the King and the Prince of Wales.
Referring to his father’s health — the King is currently undergoing cancer treatment — Harry said: “Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
Harry appeared visibly emotional during the interview, at times holding back tears. He extended what appeared to be an olive branch, saying he could “forgive my family’s involvement” in the events that have shaped the breakdown of relations since he began dating Meghan Markle in 2016. He named his father, stepmother Queen Camilla, and brother William as central figures in the rift.
The relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family became severely strained after their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they revealed that a senior royal had expressed concerns about their son Archie’s skin colour prior to his birth.
Further damage was inflicted by the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, in which he claimed that William had physically attacked him, that the King prioritised his own image over Harry’s wellbeing, and that jealousy of Meghan fuelled internal conflict. He also criticised Queen Camilla, alleging her ties with the press made her “dangerous” and that she attempted to rebuild her public image at his expense.
“Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book,” Harry acknowledged. “But I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”
The dispute over personal security dates back to 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals and moved to California. That decision triggered a review by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which ultimately downgraded Harry’s security arrangements while in the UK.
Harry told the BBC he believed the royal establishment had hoped the resulting safety concerns “would force us to come back.” He added that the stripping of his security had left his family exposed and effectively signalled to governments worldwide that they should not offer protection either.
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“I thought, with all the disagreements and all the chaos that’s happening, the one thing I could rely on is my family keeping me safe,” he said. “Not only did they decide to remove my security in the UK, but they also signalled to every single government around the world not to protect us.”
The Duke said he no longer envisages a situation where he would bring his wife and children back to Britain.
He also warned of a “new precedent” being set. “What really worries me more than anything else about today’s decision is that it suggests security can be used to control members of the family,” he said. “And what it effectively does is imprison other members of the family from being able to choose a different life.”
Royal observers suggest the interview is unlikely to lead to a thaw in relations. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond noted: “Harry’s father and brother do not trust him to keep conversations private. This loudspeaker of a diatribe is not likely to earn him an invitation back.”
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