The Duke of Sussex has admitted in a bombshell interview he has no idea how long King Charles has left to live. He has said he wants “reconciliation” with the rest of the Royal Family, in an emotional interview broadcast after he lost his High Court appeal over his security provision in the UK.
Prince Harry said he was cut off from his father King Charles in a BBC News interview in California, saying “He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.” He added he “did not know how much longer my father has”.
King Charles, 76, has been undergoing treatment for cancer. In a candid assessment at a Buckingham Palace reception earlier this week honouring cancer support organisations, he described the experience as “daunting” and “frightening,” acknowledging the emotional toll of the illness.
The last confirmed meeting the two occurred in early February 2024, shortly after the King’s cancer diagnosis was publicly announced.
Prince Harry flew from California to London and spent approximately 30 to 45 minutes with his father at Clarence House. This brief encounter was their first face-to-face meeting in over a year, as they had not interacted during the King’s coronation in May 2023.
The Duke of Sussex, aged 40, who now lives in California with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, claimed his family would “never forgive him”.
However, he continued: “It would be nice to reconcile, as I learned through through the First Nations, throughout Canada because of the Invictus Games. Their goal in life was always truth and reconciliation.
“And I turned around to them in many conversations, I said, right, that reconciliation can’t come without truth.
“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. I would love to reconcile. If they don’t want that – that’s entirely up to them.”
Harry insisted of the security row: “I never asked him to intervene – I asked him to step out of the way and let the experts do their jobs.”
The prince said claimed his treatment during the process had “uncovered my worst fears”.
In remarks which appear guarantee to widen the rift between himself and his father, and his brother Prince William, he added: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.
“There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family.”
He further suggested one level of security he can receive in the UK is “completely insufficient”.
He said: “This case-by-case basis has been used by Ravec, and also by large sections of the British press to say ‘what’s the big problem, you’re given something on a case-by-case basis’.
“Unfortunately, that case-by-case basis is separated by the reason for my visit… It’s not really a case-by-case basis, it’s an either or.
“If you’re invited to the UK by your family, then we will give you security. If you come for any other reason, then you will get a very low amount of security.”
Harry said he would not confirm what that level of security was, “but that it is completely insufficient”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move to the United States in 2020 marked a dramatic break from royal life, triggering widespread media coverage and internal family tensions.
Their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, followed by the release of their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, portrayed the Royal Family as cold and unwelcoming — fuelling a global debate and backlash.
The publication of Harry’s memoir Spare deepened the rift, with personal accusations and intimate details that left senior royals blindsided and reportedly furious – Harry even claimed he had been physically attacked by his brother on one occasion.
The fallout has unquestionably been enormous, with long-term damage to Harry’s relationships.
