It’s a tough one to watch: The Duke of Sussex—who just lost the latest round in his legal battle over his quest for publicly funded security in the U.K.—sat down for a rare (and raw) interview with the BBC in which he opens up about the actual state of his relationship with his father, King Charles. The truth? Things aren’t good.
Prince Harry Just Gave a Rare (& Emotional) Interview About the Royal Family
At this point, he's got nothing to lose
Published May 2, 2025
•7:08pm
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Over five years since quitting his job as a senior member of the royal family in January 2020, Harry—speaking with the network in California—revealed he currently has no idea about his dad’s cancer prognosis, but also shared his desire to put an end to the family’s painful rift.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he says. “There’s no point 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. But it would be nice to reconcile.”
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The Duke of Sussex also acknowledged the long-assumed impact of Spare, his 2023 memoir, on family relations. “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things,” he shares. Harry noted that he believes the security dispute could be resolved with a single action by the king: “I never asked him to intervene—I asked him to step out of the way and let the experts do their jobs.” (Currently, the only way Harry can safely return to the U.K. is when he is invited by the Royal Family—under those circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, he is granted taxpayer-funded police protection.)
For good reason, Harry describes being “devastated” by today’s court decision—and cites the Royal Household as a blocker for forward movement in the right direction when it comes to granting him the safety he deserves. “Everybody knew that they were putting us at risk in 2020 and they hoped that me knowing that risk would force us to come back. But then when you realize that didn’t work, do you not want to keep us safe?”
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He goes on to acknowledge the harsh reality—that if things can’t be fixed and Harry and his family continue to be denied police protection in the U.K.—he doesn’t think it’s possible for him to ever return with his wife, Meghan Markle, or his two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, by his side. “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he reveals.
Bottom line: It’s a sad day for Prince Harry—and a gutwrenching day for anyone optimistic about a royal family reunion anytime soon.
