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Prince Harry says he wants to reconcile with royal family: ‘I want it to work out’
Prince Harry is hoping for a royal reconciliation. The Duke of Sussex has said that he wants to mend his strained relationship with his family
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Prince Harry is hoping for a royal reconciliation. The Duke of Sussex has said that he wants to mend his strained relationship with his father, King Charles III, and elder brother, Prince William.
In an interview with GQ magazine in New York, the Duke of Sussex spoke about family estrangement and said that reconciliation remains important despite the difficulties of the past.
“I want it to work out”
"Some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out. With everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile - that's the key point," Prince Harry, 42, told GQ in the interview published Tuesday.
During the interview, Harry described disagreements between siblings and fractured relationships between parents and children as “massively relatable” experiences across families.
(Also read: Prince Harry returns to UK: Could Diana's 30th death anniversary reunite him with William? Royal expert weighs in)
“There’s sibling disagreements, there’s broken relationships between kids and their parents, kids and one parent,” he said.
“That continues to come up with me the whole time by people that I speak to, so I know how relatable it is.”
Harry suggested that public interest in his family’s circumstances could also encourage others to reflect on their own relationships and consider how they might resolve their differences.
“That’s partly probably why there’s so much fascination … People maybe look at us and go: ‘How are you going to work it out?’ Then: ‘Maybe how I see you’re going to work it out, maybe that will help me work my stuff out.’”
“Scars stick forever”
Asked whether he believed the rift within his family could be healed, Harry responded in the affirmative.
"Scars stick around forever. But what your perception is, and what your mindset is to those things that have happened, letting go of the past, that's something that I would encourage everybody to do," said Prince Harry.
“If there’s certain things from the past that’s still affecting your everyday, that’s harder to let go of.
“But yeah, for me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family.”
According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Prince Harry later clarified that his comments were not meant to be a dig at his elder brother or any of the royal family members. Instead, they were said in a general context.
The royal rupture
Prince Harry's relationship with the British royal family deteriorated in the years leading up to his and Meghan Markle's decision to step back from their roles as working royals in 2020. The couple moved to the United States, citing their desire for greater independence.
The rift deepened after Harry and Meghan spoke publicly about their experiences within the royal family. In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple made allegations about their treatment by the institution, including concerns raised about the skin colour of their son, Archie, before his birth. The interview brought their differences with the royal establishment into the public eye.
(Also read: What Prince Harry said about Uncle Andrew’s ‘shameful scandal’ in his book Spare)
Tensions intensified with Harry's 2023 memoir, Spare, in which he described disagreements with William and recounted an alleged physical altercation between the brothers in 2019. He also detailed his grievances with other members of the family, bringing private disputes into public view.
Earlier this year, however, Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK. According to BBC News, the Duke of Sussex stated it feels great to be back as their children, Archie and Lilibet, adjust to British schools.
