Prince Harry has expressed a desire to reconcile with the British royal family, but believes King Charles and some relatives may never forgive him.
“I would very much like to reconcile with my family. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of disagreements over security, but it would be wonderful to reconcile,” Harry said in an interview with the BBC on May 2, referring to King Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
The interview took place just hours after the London Court of Appeal rejected Harry’s appeal to reinstate automatic police protection for him and his family while in the UK.
Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California, USA, with his wife and children. In February 2020, the Home Office ruled that he would no longer receive automatic police protection in the UK after relinquishing his royal role.
He later filed a lawsuit against the British government at the High Court in London. Last year, the court ruled that the Home Office’s decision was lawful, prompting Harry to appeal.
In its May 2 ruling, the Court of Appeal stated that Harry lost entitlement to police protection after stepping back from royal duties, and therefore the High Court’s decision was not unlawful.
Harry said he was “quite disappointed” with the ruling, adding that he found it “difficult to forgive” and that he would not be able to safely bring his family back to the UK.
He described the court’s decision as an “establishment stitch-up” and accused the royal household of influencing the outcome, while calling for help from his father and the government.
“My father has a lot of control and capability. He could resolve this whole situation. It doesn’t necessarily require intervention, but simply stepping aside and allowing experts to do what is necessary,” Harry said. He added that the decision to remove his security privileges was initiated under a previous administration, and called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to step in.
According to Harry, some members of the family may never forgive him for publishing a memoir revealing royal secrets.
“But I would very much like reconciliation,” he said, adding that he has accepted he may not be able to bring his children, Archie and Lilibet, back to the UK. “I love my country, despite what some people there have done. I miss the United Kingdom. It’s sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
Since leaving the UK, Harry and his wife have strongly criticized the royal family through documentaries, a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey, and most notably in his memoir Spare. He is reportedly no longer in regular contact with his father or his brother, Prince William.
In response to Harry’s complaints about the court ruling, Buckingham Palace said that all matters regarding his security arrangements had been thoroughly reviewed by the courts multiple times, with consistent conclusions. The royal family did not comment on his remarks about King Charles or his desire for reconciliation.