Prince Harry has expressed his desire to repair his strained relationship with King Charles and other members of the British royal family, saying reconciliation has become increasingly important to him.
The Duke of Sussex made the remarks in an interview with GQ magazine, six years after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California in 2020.
Their departure triggered a major rift within the royal family, particularly after the couple publicly criticised the institution. Harry has also remained largely estranged from his elder brother, Prince William, for years, while contact with his father has only recently resumed.
In the interview, Harry, 42, said he wanted to put past disagreements behind him and rebuild family relationships.
“With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile,” he told GQ.
Harry acknowledged that disagreements between family members were common and said the public’s interest in his family partly reflected how relatable such problems were.
“There’s sibling disagreements, there’s broken relationships between kids and their parents, kids and one parent,” he said.
He suggested that efforts to repair relationships could encourage other people experiencing family conflicts to consider reconciliation.
However, Harry also recognised that not everyone wanted to see his family reunite.
“And some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out,” he added.
A spokesperson for Harry clarified that his remarks about people who did not want reconciliation to succeed were not intended as a criticism of William or any other member of the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex said painful experiences could leave lasting effects but encouraged people to move beyond past disagreements where possible.
“For me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family,” he said. “It’s not worth it.”
Harry Opens Up About His Children’s Education in Britain
During the interview, Harry also discussed his decision to return to Britain with Meghan and their two children, explaining that having them attend a British school had become particularly meaningful to him.
He said he had not fully appreciated how important the experience would be until his children began school.
“I didn’t know how important it was to me. I always thought it was going to be something that we would try and do, but now they’ve been in school for two weeks. They’re loving it and it’s just giving them a whole different experience.”
Harry also reflected on losing his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12, as well as his previous struggles with mental health.
Duke Hopes to Improve Relationship With British Press
Harry also expressed hope that his difficult relationship with the British media could improve.
His conflict with sections of the press was among the factors behind his decision to step away from royal duties and move abroad. The dispute has also resulted in several legal battles involving newspaper groups.
Despite the history of conflict, Harry said he hoped the parties involved could move forward.
“My hope is that it will change,” he said.
“There have been some battles that have been fought, necessarily so. But hopefully we can all draw a line under that.”
He added that he hoped he, his family and parts of the British press could leave past disputes behind and focus on what he described as the greater good.
The comments signal Harry’s willingness to seek a fresh start with his family, although it remains unclear whether his hopes for reconciliation will lead to a broader improvement in relations with other senior royals.
