Prince Harry Shares Why He Still Hopes To Rebuild Ties With The Royal Family

Prince Harry discussed his tense relationship with his family, the court’s decision to deny his security appeal, and the one thing he claims is preventing them from getting back together.

Prince Harry has stated that he is open to making amends with his family, but he maintains that if they are not prepared to compromise, attempts to patch things up may fail.

After losing his legal appeal over royal protection, the Duke of Sussex spoke to BBC News in a recently aired interview. He expressed a mixture of sadness, urgency, and certainty regarding his future.

“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said. “There’s no point continuing to fight anymore. As I said, life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. You know, he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.” He added, “If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”

The conversation took place soon after his plea to reverse the government’s decision to reduce his police protection while in Britain was denied by a U.K. court. According to Harry, the decision exposed him to “unjustified and inferior treatment”. On May 2, 2025, however, the Court of Appeal dismissed his claim and upheld the ruling.

During his conversation with BBC’s Neda Torfić, Harry said he was “Obviously, pretty gutted about the decision.” The prince, who is now 40, also said he is currently unable to return to the United Kingdom with his wife and children. “We thought it was going to go our way, but it certainly hasn’t,” he shared.

The Duke said he has only visited the United Kingdom for funerals, court appearances, and the occasional charity function. He lives in California with his wife, Meghan, and their kids, Archie and Lilibet.

“I put myself at risk for that, but I will continue on with a life of public service,” he said. “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point. And the things that they’re going to miss is—well, everything. [sic]”

Harry’s loss of security seems to be a major factor in the conflict between him and the royal institution. “Just because you spoke there about forgiveness—it sounds like the last step to repairing relations with your family is the security issue, by what you said there,” Torfić said.

“One hundred percent,” said Harry. “Whatever noise has been created, whatever stories have been written—this has always been the sticking point.” He continued by describing how he was taken aback by the 2020 decision to revoke his protection.

“God forbid anything should happen. And I don’t regret that at all,” he said of his decision to step away from royal duties. “I thought with all the disagreements and all of the chaos that’s happening, the one thing that I could rely on is my family keeping me safe.”

But instead, he said, “Not only did they decide to remove my security in the U.K., but they also signaled to every single government around the world not to protect us.” Harry shared that the effect of the ruling is deeply personal.

Reflecting on the rift, Harry acknowledged that some wounds may never fully heal, saying, “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they will never forgive me for lots of things.” Still, he expressed, “It would be nice to reconcile.”

The idea is one Harry said he learned while engaging with First Nations communities in Canada through the Invictus Games. “Their goal in life was always truth and reconciliation,” he explained. “And I turned around to them in many conversations—I said, ‘Right, but reconciliation can’t come without truth.'”

“Well, 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,” he said. “So it would be nice to have that reconciliation part now. If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”

In response to the BBC segment, Buckingham Palace issued a statement. “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion,” stated a spokesman.

In addition to court rulings, public sentiment has also hindered Prince Harry’s wish to return to the UK. His court appearance earlier this month was a significant turning point in his ongoing legal battle with the Home Office, which is at the heart of the issues he recently discussed in an interview.

On Tuesday, April 8, Prince Harry was pictured arriving at the London-based Royal Courts of Justice. Online comments to his return to the UK for a court hearing were intense, with many detractors venting their annoyance at his continuous security-related legal struggle.

The duke, who arrived in a black Range Rover and wore a dark suit, waved at reporters outside but would not answer questions about whether he will speak to his father, King Charles III, while there.

The lengthy legal struggle that started in September 2021 included this court hearing. Harry then filed a lawsuit to overturn the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s (Ravec) February 2020 decision to reduce his UK security.

That choice came after Harry and his spouse, Meghan Markle, left their royal responsibilities and relocated to the United States. The duke claimed that the absence of government-provided security had significantly restricted his capacity to go to the UK, making the hearing on April 8—which started with three judges going over the case’s legal principles—a pivotal point.

During a previous court hearing in December 2023, a witness statement from Harry was read aloud, and it referenced his wife and kids. “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” the statement read.

It continued, “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”

Harry stated in his statement that he couldn’t jeopardise his wife’s safety and that, given his life experiences, he was also reluctant to put himself in danger without a valid reason.

Many people were eagerly observing and anticipating the judges’ ruling throughout the two-day hearing at the Court of Appeal. The public responded quickly as pictures of Harry’s return went viral on social media. Many expressed their annoyance at his persistent calls for government-funded protection.

One person didn’t hold back, penning, “What a shame.” Another critical voice added, “He should be ashamed to waste taxpayers money like this.” More people echoed these feelings, “What a disappointment he turned out to be.”

Skepticism quickly followed, with a commenter questioning, “Really? At this point, He is demanding security from the UK?”

Some people pointed to Harry’s past decisions, “He made a choice. He wanted nothing to do with Royal duties and serving the people of the UK.” The debate went on, as one user stated, “He’s not a working royal, he doesn’t earn that protection.”

Frustration was evident in another message, “The entitlement of this man is staggering.” And one person speculated about the timing, “Is it a coincidence that Charles and Camilla are away on a trip to Italy, when Harry turns up in the UK?”

Prince Harry’s relationship with the UK, both the public and the institution, is still complicated and emotionally fraught, as evidenced by the ongoing legal struggle.

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