Prince Harry opened up about the tensions with his family, the court’s decision to reject his request for security, and the one thing he believes is blocking any chance of reconciliation.
He has stated that he’s open to reconciling with his family but emphasized that any attempts to repair the relationship won’t be successful if his family is unwilling to meet him halfway.
In a recent interview with BBC News, recorded after the loss of his legal battle over royal security, the Duke of Sussex shared a blend of sadness, urgency, and clarity regarding his future.
The interview took place not long after a U.K. court rejected Prince Harry’s effort to challenge the government’s decision to reduce his police protection while in the U.K. He had claimed that the change left him with “unjustified and inferior treatment.” But on May 2, 2025, the Court of Appeal upheld the original decision and dismissed his case.
In the interview, Harry expressed a desire to make peace with his family.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said. “There’s no point continuing to fight anymore. As I said, life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. You know, he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.” He added, “If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”
In an interview with BBC’s Neda Torfić, Prince Harry said he was “Obviously, pretty gutted about the decision.” Now 40 years old, he also mentioned that he currently can’t return to the U.K. with his wife and kids. “We thought it was going to go our way, but it certainly hasn’t,” he shared.
Harry, who now lives in California with Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, explained that he’s only been back to the U.K. for funerals, court cases, and the occasional charity event.
“I put myself at risk for that, but I will continue on with a life of public service,” he said. “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point. And the things that they’re going to miss is—well, everything.”
Xem bài viết này trên Instagram
The ongoing tension between Harry and the royal family seems to mainly center around the issue of his security. Torfić pointed out, “Just because you spoke there about forgiveness—it sounds like the last step to repairing relations with your family is the security issue, by what you said there.”
Prince Harry opened up about his shock over losing royal protection back in 2020.
“One hundred percent,” Harry replied. “Whatever noise has been created, whatever stories have been written—this has always been the sticking point.” He shared how surprised he was when his security was taken away.
“God forbid anything should happen. And I don’t regret that at all,” he said, referring to his choice to leave royal duties. “I thought with all the disagreements and all of the chaos that’s happening, the one thing that I could rely on is my family keeping me safe.”
Reflecting on the family tension, Harry admitted that some relationships might never fully recover. He said, “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.” Still, he added, “It would be nice to reconcile.”
Harry shared that he learned a lot about the idea of reconciliation from his time with First Nations communities in Canada during the Invictus Games. “Their goal in life was always truth and reconciliation,” he said. “And I turned around to them in many conversations—I said, ‘Right, but reconciliation can’t come without truth.'”
He continued, “Well, I’ve now found out the truth. I’ve shared some of it with you today. A lot of it exists out there—whether people choose to ignore it or not.” Then he added, “So it would be nice to have that reconciliation part now. If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”
In response to the BBC’s report, Buckingham Palace released a statement through a spokesperson: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”
Prince Harry’s hopes of returning to the UK have become more difficult — not just because of legal decisions, but also because of how the public feels about it. When he appeared in court last month, it was a major moment in his ongoing legal fight with the Home Office, which he also spoke about in a recent interview.
On Tuesday, April 8, Prince Harry was seen arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. His visit for the court hearing sparked strong reactions online, with many people criticizing his continued fight for police protection while in the UK.
Wearing a dark suit, Harry arrived in a black Range Rover. He waved to the media but didn’t answer any questions, including one about whether he planned to meet with his father, King Charles III, during his trip.
This court visit is part of a legal case that started back in September 2021. At that time, Harry filed a lawsuit challenging a decision made in February 2020 by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which downgraded his security while in the UK.
That decision came after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles and moved to the United States. So, the hearing on April 8 — where three judges began reviewing the legal arguments — was a big moment for Harry, who has said that not having government-provided security has made it very hard for him to return to the UK.
Back in December 2023, during a court hearing, a statement from Prince Harry was read out loud. In it, he talked about his wife and children. “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” the statement said.
He went on to say, “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”
Harry explained that he couldn’t take the chance of putting his wife in danger. Given everything he’s experienced in his life, he was also very cautious about risking his own safety without a strong reason.
The two-day hearing at the Court of Appeal drew a lot of attention, with many people waiting to hear what the judges would decide. As photos of Harry returning to the UK appeared on social media, reactions came quickly. Some people expressed anger over his continued request for taxpayer-funded security.
People didn’t hold back their opinions. One person wrote, “What a shame.” Another critic said, “He should be ashamed to waste taxpayers money like this.” Others shared the same view, saying, “What a disappointment he turned out to be.”
Doubt quickly followed, with one comment asking, “Really? At this point, He is demanding security from the UK?”
Some brought up Prince Harry’s past choices: “He made a choice. He wanted nothing to do with Royal duties and serving the people of the UK.”
The debate continued, with someone else adding, “He’s not a working royal, he doesn’t earn that protection.”
Watch the moment Prince Harry arrives at the Court of Appeal, as he continues his fight against the Home Office’s decision in 2020 to roll back his publicly funded police protection in the UK.https://t.co/HJAaDIIdzc
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/AiFjzt1KON
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 8, 2025
One person showed clear frustration, saying, “The entitlement of this man is staggering.” Another wondered about the timing, asking, “Is it a coincidence that Charles and Camilla are away on a trip to Italy, when Harry turns up in the UK?”
As Prince Harry’s legal fight went on, it was obvious that his connection to the UK—both with the royal institution and the public—remains complicated and full of emotion.