The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has said he “would love a reconciliation” with the Royal Family following a failed legal appeal over his security arrangements in the UK.
Speaking to BBC News from California, Prince Harry revealed he was “devastated” by the ruling, which upheld a previous decision to downgrade his security after stepping down as a working royal in 2020.
He claimed the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”, but stressed he was no longer interested in prolonging the dispute and was mindful of time, adding that he did “not know how much longer my father has”.
The legal battle centred on the level of protection Prince Harry and his family would receive when visiting the UK.
Buckingham Palace responded to the latest developments, stating: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”
Following the court’s decision on Friday, the prince expressed his reluctance to return to Britain under the current conditions.
“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” he said.
Acknowledging past tensions with relatives, he noted, “There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family,” but explained that he had since “forgiven” them.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight anymore, life is precious,” he added, identifying the ongoing security disagreement as the “sticking point”.
Prince Harry sought to overturn the 2020 changes which stripped him of automatic security support after relocating to the United States.
He accused the Royal Household of influencing the outcome and described the loss as a “good old fashioned establishment stitch up”.
On whether he had asked King Charles to intervene in the matter, the prince clarified: “I never asked him to intervene – I asked him to step out of the way and let the experts do their jobs.”
He shared that the process had been emotionally difficult, revealing, “I’m devastated – not so much as devastated with the loss that I am about the people behind the decision, feeling as though this is okay. Is it a win for them?”
He continued: “I’m sure there are some people out there, probably most likely the people that wish me harm, [who] consider this a huge win.”
He said the removal of guaranteed security affects him “every single day” and claimed he could only return to the UK safely if formally invited by the Royal Family.
Reflecting on the broader implications of the security downgrade, the prince said it affected his entire household.
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“Everybody knew that they were putting us at risk in 2020 and they hoped that me knowing that risk would force us to come back,” he said. “But then when you realise that didn’t work, do you not want to keep us safe?”
“Whether you’re the government, the Royal Household, whether you’re my dad, my family – despite all of our differences, do you not want to just ensure our safety?”
Asked if he missed Britain, the prince responded: “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done… and I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
Prince Harry confirmed he would not pursue further legal action following the court’s decision, acknowledging: “proven that there was no way to win this through the courts”.
He added, “I wish someone had told me that beforehand,” and described the outcome as a “surprise”.
Reflecting on the personal toll of the dispute, he said, “This, at the heart of it, is a family dispute, and it makes me really, really sad that we’re sitting here today, five years later, where a decision that was made most likely, in fact I know, to keep us under the roof.”
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