Prince Harry sabotaged his chances of a royal reconciliation with a controversial BBC interview in the wake of his appeal hearing over UK security. The Duke of Sussex recently lost an appeal to have the court reconsider its ruling on his nuclear family’s police security on UK grounds. This lost bid followed the UK government’s decision to strip him, and by extension, his wife and little kids of security privileges, a decision the exiled prince has attributed to his dad, King Charles, and the firm’s influence.
In the wake of the latest court ruling, Harry granted an interview with the BBC, where he delved into the state of his “feud” with the royal family despite their aversion to sharing details of family disputes. The 40-year-old admitted his desire to forgive his family’s rash actions towards him, past and present, and reconcile with them. Further stoking the flame, Harry dived into King Charles’s health, another subject the royals considered off limits. Commenting on the monarch’s health, Harry claimed he had no idea how long his cancer-stricken dad had to live, as the monarch refused to speak to him, thanks to the security dilemma.
Prince Harry’s Friends Rebuke His BBC Interview Amid Security Drama
While the BBC interview might have been Prince Harry’s means of airing his grievances and perhaps stirring his family’s attention to his plight, it’s had the opposite effect on the royals and those within royal circles. Insiders believe that the conclusion of the security squabble would have created an avenue for the exiled Prince to speak to his dad. However, his decision to grant the interview right after, in a fleeting moment of emotion, ruined the prospects, pushing a royal reconciliation further away.
Speaking to Hello!, one insider warned that the duke’s constant attack on his royal family has “taken its toll.” The source suggested that at forty, Prince Harry’s antics were getting tiring, as he kept up these battles, not just with his royal family, but also the rest of the world. The source divulged,
“He sees things everywhere, he picks battles with everybody, and that’s tiring. You can’t live in permanent battle mode. You’re a 40-year-old man. You’ve got to stop fighting the world.”
Another source, a former friend of Prince Harry, pinpointed his comments about “forgiveness” in the BBC interview following his lost battle for UK security. During the interview, the exiled prince had voiced, “My father, my brother, and my stepmother, I can forgive.” However, the old friend suggested that Harry may have things all twisted, since it wasn’t exactly his family in need of forgiveness, but himself. The source said,
“He needs the world to forgive him. His family has never bent on their stance, which is that he should not take up issues in public.”
Harry’s Constant ‘Whinning’ Sparks Ire From Royal Fans
Another source buttressed this point, noting that the royal family now lacks trust in Harry, as they believe it impossible to keep conversations with him private. Those outside the royal fold share similar sentiments, agreeing that the estranged prince may have indeed missed it by a landslide in his pursuit of royal reconciliation. Defending this take, netizens have cited Harry’s constant public insinuations that it was in his place to pardon his estranged family for their misdeeds, while he remains blameless. One royal fan divulged,
“We’re close to Britney territory now. Harry contradicts himself constantly, issues very thinly-veiled threats and accusations, and makes totally unrealistic demands. He is losing whatever feeble grasp he ever had of reality.”
Another wrote,
“I don’t know how anyone can be so tone deaf. Why did he think more complaining was a good idea?!”
Another netizen implied that “Harry has betrayed his family but feels paranoid about it,” while a fourth commented, “STOP trying to force a reconciliation. It’s not going to happen!” Talks of a royal reconciliation have prevailed for years, with the anticipation heightening further with each of Prince Harry’s visits to the UK. Last year, this reconciliation seemed imminent as King Charles was diagnosed with cancer, a life-threatening condition he’s battled ever since.
Following the announcement of the king’s diagnosis, Prince Harry journeyed to the UK on a short visit to his dad. The meeting in Clarence Hall reportedly lasted about an hour, with the duke expressing gratitude for the opportunity before returning to California the next day. However, Harry never got to meet his brother, Prince William, whose wife Kate Middleton had also been diagnosed with cancer around that time following a planned abdominal surgery. Prince Harry has since made a handful of other trips to the UK, but neither the close proximity of these visits nor the health woes plaguing the royal family last year set the stage for a royal reconciliation.
