Prince Harry has said it is “impossible” for him to bring his wife and children back to Britain, following his legal defeat in the fight to reinstate his official security detail.
In a candid interview with the BBC, the Duke of Sussex disclosed that his father, King Charles III, “won’t speak to him” and shared his desire to rebuild the relationship. “Life is precious,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
Speaking from his home in California, Harry, 40, explained: “For the time being, it’s impossible for me to take my family back to the UK safely. I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point, and the things that they’re going to miss, is, well, everything.”
He continued: “I love my country. I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done. I miss the UK. I miss parts of the UK, of course I do. And it’s really quite sad I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
The prince brought legal action after the government removed his automatic police protection, a decision made when he and Meghan stepped back from official royal duties in 2020. Despite arguing in court that the alternative “bespoke” security arrangement was substandard and lacked a proper risk assessment, the ruling went against him.
“I can only come to the UK safely if I am invited, and there is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands,” he said. “Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him, not by intervening, but by stepping aside and allowing the experts to do what is necessary and to carry out an RMB [risk management board].”
Buckingham Palace declined to respond in depth but did issue a brief statement through a spokesperson, who said the issue had been “examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”
In a direct appeal to political leaders, Harry urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to re-examine the role of Ravec, the committee responsible for determining security arrangements for royals and public figures.
“I have had it described to me by people who know about the facts that this is a good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up. And that’s what it feels like.”
When asked whether the prime minister should intervene, he replied, “Yes, I would ask the prime minister to step in. I would ask Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to look at this very, very carefully and I would ask her to review Ravec and its members.”
Addressing the ongoing tensions within the royal family, Harry acknowledged: “There have been so many disagreements, differences between me and some of my family. This current situation, that has been ongoing now for five years with regard to human life and safety as the sticking point. It is the only thing that’s left.”
He also recognised the impact of past actions. “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, but … I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight any more.”
On the court’s ruling, Harry said the outcome itself wasn’t the most upsetting aspect. “Not so much devastated with the loss [as] about the people behind the decision feeling as though this is OK. Is it a win for them? 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 concluded by raising concerns about how the matter reflects on the institution as a whole, suggesting it could carry wider consequences for the monarchy.
