Prince Harry has been estranged from the royal family for some time – and his latest bombshell interview with the BBC will likely have only further deepened the rift with the royals, according to experts
The gulf between Prince Harry and King Charles is as wide as it has ever been. Days ago, the Duke of Sussex admitted that he is no longer in contact with his father as he gave another explosive interview—a decision that critics said would only deepen his rift with the royals.
Fractures in Harry’s relationship with Charles have been increasingly evident following the Sussexes’ decision to quit royal life, and subsequently criticise the royals in interviews, their Netflix show, and in his controversial memoir Spare.
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Perhaps the strongest indicator came in February 2024. Following the King’s cancer diagnosis announcement, Harry flew over to London from California, while his wife and children stayed at their Montecito home.
But despite the distance travelled, Harry’s meeting with Charles lasted just 12 minutes, according to royal author Lady Colin Campbell. She said, “My understanding is actually the meeting lasted exactly 12 minutes, not 30 minutes or 45 minutes and Harry took it upon himself, without an invitation, to get on a plane, fly over and inform the King’s office that he was arriving.
“One could actually wonder who was the visit for? Was it for Harry? Was it for the king? Or was it for Netflix or was it a combination of all three?” she told GB News at the time. “I don’t think anybody is particularly convinced that Harry has done this for any other reason but to work himself into the narrative and keep himself at the forefront of the public’s attention.”
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It was also noted by commentators that Prince William did not meet with his brother during that visit – or any of his subsequent trips. Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that William’s stance suggests he has completely disowned his sibling.
“I think we have to give up hope that the rift between the brothers will be healed at any time in the near future, or indeed ever,” she said last year. “William’s head and heart must be bursting with all that he has on his plate right now: his wife’s cancer treatment, his father’s illness, his children growing up fast, the pressure for him to take on more royal duties, the prospect of becoming King earlier than he might ever have wanted.
“Dealing with ‘the Harry problem’ is probably just one step too far for William. I believe he has moved on with his life and has, to all intents and purposes, disowned the brother to whom he was once so close.”
In his most recent interview, Harry spoke with BBC News on May 2, shortly after a judge dismissed his legal challenge concerning his reduced security after stepping back as a working member of the royal family in 2020.
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“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he said. “Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has,” he continued, referencing King Charles . “He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
Harry further claimed his security issues “could be resolved” through King Charles. “There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands,” he said. “Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary.”
The palace has consistently denied that the King has the power to have Harry’s security reinstated. In response, one source told the Sunday Telegraph that it showed there is “nothing that can be trusted to remain private” and “as for their being no contact, well, he has just proven why, yet again”.
And another insider told ITV News: “For a son who claims to want a family reconciliation, it’s certainly a very curious way to build bridges or offer olive branches. His beloved grandmother would have been truly horrified. The King is a kind man with a warm heart and quite enough on his plate to deal with, without all this from his son.”