Prince Harry has declared he holds no regrets over his public criticism of the Royal Family, even though he admits, “some will never forgive me.”
Speaking after a major legal defeat in his battle for police protection in the UK, the Duke of Sussex blamed the outcome on a “good old fashioned establishment stitch up” and said he felt “let down.”
The prince, who lost his taxpayer-funded security after stepping back from royal duties, revealed his disappointment during an interview with the BBC. “I am devastated,” he said, not just by the court’s ruling, but more so by “the people behind the decision feeling as though this is okay.”
He questioned whether some might consider his loss a victory. “Is it a win that I don’t get the protection that the threats and risks and impacts say that I should?” he asked. “I’m sure there are some people out there… most likely the people that wish me harm, consider this a huge win.”
Harry, who said he still hopes for reconciliation with his family, added: “There have been so many disagreements… Of course some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book… but I would love reconciliation with my family.”
He also expressed concern about King Charles’s health, noting, “life is precious,” and that he doesn’t know “how much longer” his father has. Yet, he claimed the King won’t speak to him “because of this security stuff.”
Despite the tension, Harry claimed he had forgiven the Royal Family. “I can forgive my family’s involvement, my father, my brother and my stepmother. I can forgive. I can forgive the press to a large extent as well… What I’m struggling to forgive… is that a decision was made in 2020 that knowingly put me and my family in harm’s way.”
Harry suggested the removal of his protection was meant to pressure him and Meghan into returning to the UK. “Everybody knew they were putting us at risk… and they hoped that knowing the risk would force us to come back,” he claimed.
Earlier this month, Harry returned to London for a two-day Court of Appeal hearing. But the court ruled against him, marking his second failed attempt to challenge the Home Office and RAVEC, the body responsible for royal security. The prince may now face legal costs exceeding £1.5 million.
“I thought it was going to go our way,” Harry admitted. “I’ve uncovered my worst fears… that there was no legal framework that constrains the decisions of RAVEC, of which the Royal Household sit on. I didn’t know that until this process.”
He recalled his shock upon learning the Royal Household had a seat on RAVEC: “One of the first things my lawyer said to me… was: ‘Did you know the royal household sat on RAVEC?’ And my jaw hit the floor.”
When asked why police security should be publicly funded, Harry replied that private security lacks jurisdiction in foreign countries. “Police protection is effective protection… If people who’ve chosen public office get protection, why not someone born into this role who’s served his country, completed two tours of Afghanistan, and lives under increasing threats?”
Pressed on whether security was used to punish him for stepping back, Harry said, “I don’t think that anymore. Now I know security was used as leverage.” He warned the ruling might set a precedent “that security can be used to control members of the family… effectively imprisoning them.”
Although he hasn’t ruled out appealing to the Supreme Court, Harry indicated he’s not eager to keep fighting. “There is way too much suffering and conflict in the world… At the heart of this is a family dispute… It makes me really, really sad that we’re here five years later.”
He added: “Please just look at the facts, look at the risks, look at the threat. If anything were to happen to me, my wife, or my father’s grandchildren… look where the responsibility lies. There is a duty of care that has been completely thrown out the window, and that doesn’t feel great.”
In response to Harry’s remarks, Buckingham Palace issued a brief statement: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”