Prince Harry has seemingly had a somewhat uneasy relationship with the Royal Family over the past several years. In 2020, he and wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their roles as senior members of the family, opting to move to the United States and start a family. Reports have suggested that Harry isn’t in consistent contact with his relatives in the U.K., including brother Prince William and new British monarchy King Charles. Some sources even claim that they’re all actively feuding with one another. The two have gotten much attention in the process, which apparently angers Harry. All the while, he’s getting real about whether he’d be willing to reconcile with his sibling and dad.
Prince Harry, along with his spouse, have done a number of high-profile interviews over the years, during which they’ve shared alleged details about how they’ve been treated by the royals. The Duke of Sussex most recently spoke with ITV 1 for an interview that will air in less than a week, and the trailer (which was shared by The Royal Butler on Twitter) for said chat teases that the royal will be opening up about a number of topics. Most notably, the footage showed Harry confirming that he wants to reconcile with his loved ones, though that’s apparently proving to be somewhat difficult:
They’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile. I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back.
These declarations do line up with reports that have surfaced as of late. In December, it was alleged that both Harry and Meghan Markle wanted a sitdown with the Royal Family. A separate source claimed that their relatives were “baffled” by the request, though it’s been suggested that such a thing could actually happen. While Harry seems enthusiastic about meeting with his estranged family, his other comments suggest that he’d like some changes made. As he says in the preview, he wants “a family, not an institution.”
He and Meghan Markle have said a lot about the “institution” and how it has shaped their lives. One of the instances in which they did so was during their wide-ranging discussion with Oprah in 2021, during which they alleged that some questioned what the skin tone of their son, Archie, would be. The Royal Family responded to the claims at the time, stating that it was “saddened to learn the extent of how challenging the last few years have been” for the two. The monarchy also said that it found the race-related issues to be “concerning” and that they would be “addressed by the family in private.”
The couple’s relationship with King Charles, Prince William and co. may not have improved any after the release of the docuseries Harry & Meghan, which Netflix subscription-holders consumed near the end of 2022. In it, the pair aimed more allegations at the family. The show was scrutinized after release, with some theorizing that the two left the fray for privacy and are now publicly documenting their lives. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s rep addressed the criticism in a statement and said “the Duke and Duchess have never cited privacy as the reason for stepping back.”
It’s likely that the apparent spat between both sides isn’t as cut and dry as it’s been made out to be. Only time will tell whether or not they can hash out their differences and reconcile with one another. What can be said at this point, however, is that after Prince Harry’s recent statements, the ball lies in Prince William and King Charles’ court.
