Prince Harry has sparked fresh debate after speaking about King Charles' health in an interview with GQ released on Tuesday. The Duke of Sussex discussed grief, family tensions, and his relationship with his father and Prince William during the conversation, which forms part of the magazine's One More Question series.
During the interview, Harry reflected on the difficulties of having a sick parent and the emotional impact of losing a loved one. The comments were discussed by Carole Malone and Daily Express royal editor Emily Ferguson on the latest episode of Royals Unscripted, the Daily Express's YouTube and podcast series.
Criticism from royal commentators
Speaking about the GQ interview and the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince William, Emily Ferguson said on the episode: "They've not spoken in four years. Continuing to do this kind of playbook where he's giving interviews and talking about family and he even spoke about the King's health in that interview. How is that helping things?"
Carole Malone agreed, saying it was "outrageous." The royal commentator continued: "The King has been very careful with what he said about his cancer. He has said enough. He hasn't said too much, he doesn't want to dwell on it. No one knows how bad it is, if it's cured. None of us know and if he wanted us to know he would have told us."
She added: "I don't want to discuss the King's health. I don't want to know if it's bad. I just love seeing him out there and he waited a lifetime for these years and I want it to be fantastic for him whether it's for a short time or for a long time."
Harry's reflections on grief and family
In the GQ interview, Zach Baron asked Harry: "You didn't ask for this confidence, but I know your father's been sick. Mine was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago. He's actually doing well. But another thing watching your class made me think of is, I've felt, in moments, almost a kind of anticipatory grief. I wonder if you've felt something similar?"
The Duke of Sussex responded: "Yes, I have. And I think that that is perhaps helpful. It's the one thing that we are all going to experience, which is the loss of a parent, both parents, and the loss of friends. That's universal."
Baron then asked whether his father's illness had brought back difficult emotions following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. "Having suffered the traumatic death of a parent, having a sick parent now could be very triggering in that respect," he said to Harry. Harry responded: "Yes, but he's getting better."
Harry also spoke about one of his biggest regrets following his mother's death, saying he wished he had known that their final telephone conversation would be their last. He said: "If I'd known it was the last call with her, how different that conversation would've been. And I'm the one that has to live with that. And the fact that as a 12-year-old kid, all I wanted to do was go off and run and play with my cousins."
New Royals Unscripted series
The Express launched Royals Unscripted, a weekly video podcast on YouTube and all major podcasting platforms on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Hosted by Emily Ferguson and Carole Malone, the 30-minute episodes go live every Thursday at 7am, dissecting the three biggest royal news stories of the week.
