Prince Harry has expressed a strong desire to resolve his ongoing personal disagreements with his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles, stating in a wide-ranging interview that "the most important thing is to reconcile".
The comments were published on Tuesday (20 October) from a video interview recorded with GQ magazine in New York in late September. In the interview, which focused on grief, mindset, and family dynamics, the Duke of Sussex reflected on the universal nature of rift and fallout within families.
Asked whether he grieves his "complicated" relationship with the King and the Prince of Wales, the Duke acknowledged that family strain is a deeply relatable struggle for many people.
Relatable family struggles
"There’s sibling disagreements, there’s broken relationships between, you know, kids and their parents, kids and one parent," Prince Harry said. "That continues to come up with me the whole time by people that I speak to, so I know how relatable it is."
"Some people don’t want it to work out – I want it to work out. Of course I do. With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile – that’s the key point."
Following the publication of the interview, a spokesperson for the Duke clarified that his comment regarding people who "don’t want it to work out" was "absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family", emphasising that the remark was made in a general context rather than directed at specific individuals.
Optimism on healing the rift
Addressing whether the rift within the Royal Family could eventually be repaired, Prince Harry expressed optimism while reflecting on the scars left behind by past events.
"Yeah, of course," Harry said when asked if the wound could heal. "Look, scars stick around forever, but what your perception is and what your mindset is to these things that have happened, certainly letting go of the past, that’s something that I would encourage everybody to do."
He added: "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."
When the interviewer interjected that continuing family strife is "not worth it," Harry agreed, noting: "That’s hard to say to people when you’re in it."
Family's return to the UK
The Duke also opened up about his family's return to the UK, explaining that the move was motivated by new opportunities and the educational path chosen for his children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5.
"Being able to put the kids in a British school meant a lot to me," Harry revealed, sharing that his children had been in school for two weeks and were "loving it". He added with a smile: "Don't worry, I'm not criticising American schools," explaining that he values giving his children two distinct cultural experiences.
The Duke noted how pleasant it has been to be closer to long-time friends and family in the UK, enjoying "endless playdates" that have helped his children settle in. He also joked lightly about the benefits of being outside the US for the next few months to "let things settle down for a bit".
