Prince Harry expressed his desire for “reconciliation” with the royal family on Friday but revealed that King Charles III has refused to speak with him, citing an ongoing dispute over Harry’s security arrangements during visits to the U.K.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry said to the BBC. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.” Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year and is undergoing treatment.
Prince Harry spoke out after losing his appeal to restore his government-funded police protection. He said the security dispute has caused a rift with King Charles, who now refuses to speak with him, though Harry still hopes to make peace.
Harry also blamed the royal household for influencing the decision. Buckingham Palace responded, saying the courts have reviewed the issue several times and reached the same conclusion each time.
Prince Harry wants the same level of police protection he had while living in the U.K. as a working royal. Senior royals receive security from specially trained officers with access to intelligence information. But after Harry stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the U.S., his protection was downgraded.
The decision to remove his automatic security was made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which includes members of the government, police, and royal household. Harry still receives publicly funded protection during visits to the U.K., but it’s decided on a case-by-case basis.
Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have two children—Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
Prince Harry said, “so many disagreements, differences between me and some of my family. “This current situation that has been now ongoing for five years, with regard to human life and safety, is the sticking point. It is the only thing that’s left.
“Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book,” he said. Harry detailed relations among the royal family in his 2023 memoir, “Spare.”
Harry said he was deeply disappointed by the court’s decision and suggested that King Charles has the power to help resolve the situation by allowing security experts to handle it without interference. Since moving to the U.S., Harry has returned to the U.K. several times on his own, including for his father’s coronation in May 2023. He also made a quick trip in February 2024 after the palace announced Charles’s cancer diagnosis. The father and son reportedly spent less than an hour together during that visit.
The Duke of Sussex concluded, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”
