Prince Harry has sparked backlash after saying, “I don’t know how much longer my father has,” fueling speculation about King Charles’ health. In a BBC interview, Harry said he wants reconciliation but claimed, “The King won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”
He admitted past conflicts, saying, “Some will never forgive me,” but added, “There’s no point fighting anymore.”
Former royal press secretary Ailsa Anderson criticized the interview, saying it invites public speculation and that true reconciliation should happen privately—not through the media.
In another part of the interview, Harry said he has now “forgiven” the Royal Family — but mentioned that the security issue, “that has now been ongoing for five years with regards to my human life and safety”, remains “the sticking point” and “the only thing that’s left.”
He also said, “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book,” referring to his 2023 memoir Spare, where he made several claims about the Royal Family.
This comes shortly after Harry lost his legal case against the UK government earlier today over the security arrangements made for him while in the UK.
After Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties and moved to the US in 2020, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) decided to reduce the level of police protection he would receive when returning to the UK.
Since then, the duke has said that his private security team in the US doesn’t have access to the UK intelligence they would need to properly protect his wife and children.
At the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday, Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos said that even though the duke’s concerns about safety were “powerful and moving”, his “sense of grievance” did not “translate into a legal argument”.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”
It’s believed that the King felt it wouldn’t have been right, from a constitutional point of view, to get involved while the case was still under government and court review.
Harry ‘let down’ by ruling
In the interview, Prince Harry explained that due to the security situation, he doesn’t “see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
He shared that he felt “let down” and described the situation as “a good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up.” He also said he’s concerned that the decision creates “a new precedent that security can be used to control members of the family.”
Prince Harry went on to say he believes “what it does is imprison other members of the family from being able to choose a different life,” and added:
“If, for me, security is conditional on having an official role – one that both myself and my wife wish to carry on, but then was rejected… by the Royal Household – and the result to that is you lose your security.
“That basically says you can’t live outside of their control if you want to be safe.”
Duke: PM should ‘step in’
Prince Harry urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to review the royal security committee (Ravec), questioning the Royal Household’s influence. He wants transparency over why his publicly funded protection was downgraded after stepping back from royal duties.
‘All I’ve been asking for is safety’
On Friday night, Prince Harry issued a statement criticizing Ravec for not doing a yearly risk review, saying it showed a lack of basic care for his safety. He plans to write to the Home Secretary to request a review and called the legal action “a last resort” that uncovered “shocking truths.” Harry added, “All I’ve been asking for is safety,” and reaffirmed his commitment to public service.