Prince Harry is planning to move back to the UK with Meghan Markle and their two children. While the monarchy's traditional approach is "never complain, never explain", Harry has taken rather a different stance over the years. His explosive comments range from alleging a physical confrontation with William, asking his father not to marry Camilla, and accusing the royal institution of failing to protect him and Meghan.
Supporters believe he is shedding light on an institution long viewed as impenetrable, but others believe Prince Harry has damaged relationships beyond repair with his brash claims. The Royal Family has not publicly addressed his comments, though relationships are visibly strained, especially with his brother. As Harry and Meghan get ready to live once again in the UK, the Express looks at some of his most controversial comments that Prince William and Princess Catherine may find hard to forget.
1. The Royal Family Was 'Trapped'
In Meghan's 2021 interview with Oprah, Prince Harry said he had been trapped within the royal system, and then extended that accusation directly to King Charles and Prince William.
"I was trapped but I didn't know I was trapped. Like the rest of my family are, my father and my brother, they are trapped. They don't get to leave and I have huge compassion for that."
"For the family, they very much have this mentality of: 'This is just how it is. This is how it's meant to be. You can't change it. We've all been through it.'"
In contrast, Prince William seems to have naturally taken to his role as the future King, meaning any suggestion that he was trapped is not likely to go down well.
2. His Family Allegedly Discussed How Dark Archie's Skin Might Be
Both he and Meghan raised concerns of institutionalised racism in an interview with Oprah. Harry backed up Meghan, who said there had been a conversation within the family about the possible colour of his unborn son's skin.
The Duke said he would not reveal who was involved. "That conversation, I'm never going to share. But at the time, it was awkward. I was a bit shocked."
When the unsubstantiated allegation first surfaced, the palace described it as fiction. The row resurfaced after the King and Princess of Wales were named in the Dutch version of a book as senior royals who questioned what skin colour Prince Archie would have. Dutch publisher, Xander Uitgevers, said the book was pulled from shelves in the Netherlands due to an "error".
3. William Allegedly Physically Attacked Him
In his explosive memoir Spare, Harry alleged that during an argument about his wife Meghan, Prince William became increasingly angry and ultimately pushed him to the floor. Harry said William called Meghan "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive", which Harry called a "parrot[ing of] the press narrative" about his American wife.
The Duke said the confrontation escalated until William "grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor". Harry said he landed on a dog bowl and injured his back. This was arguably one of the most explosive revelations in the entire book. Prince William has not directly addressed Prince Harry's claims of a physical altercation in public. The brothers are understood to have not spoken in years.
4. Allegations of Leaking and Planting Stories Against Him and Meghan
Harry accused the institution of secretly briefing journalists and feeding stories to the press while publicly maintaining the famous "never complain, never explain" posture.
Speaking with ITV ahead of the release of his memoir Spare, he accused members of his family of getting into bed with the devil - the tabloid press - to improve their own reputations. He repeated accusations that the royals and their aides actively leaked stories via anonymous sources.
"The saddest part of that is certain members of my family and the people that work for them are complicit in that conflict," he said.
5. He Alleged King Charles Could Have Done More for His Security Battles
In a BBC interview after Harry lost his security battle in May 2025, Harry said the dispute had become the major "sticking point" with his family. He said King Charles was no longer speaking to him because of the security issue. He also claimed the King could have helped resolve his security grievances.
The Duke told the BBC: "There is a lot of control and ability in my father's hands. Ultimately this whole thing could be resolved through him, not necessarily by intervening but by stepping aside and letting the experts do what is necessary."
