Prince Harry wrote a 'deeply personal' note to his father, King Charles, ahead of his return to the UK for Prince Philip's funeral, sources have disclosed. The Duke of Sussex reached out after their relationship 'hit rock bottom', as he prepared to see his family for the first time since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
King Charles was reportedly 'very hurt' by Harry's decision to participate in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey while the Duke of Edinburgh was seriously ill in hospital. Sources close to Harry, who lives in California with wife Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet, said he has been 'forced to write letters' due to a 'complete communication breakdown'.
In his correspondence, Harry 'outlined his reasons for leaving' while promising to 'respect the institution', according to insiders. The 36-year-old made sensational claims in the Oprah interview, including that a family member commented on how 'dark' his unborn children would be, and that the family refused to help Meghan when she felt suicidal while pregnant.
Palace insiders revealed that both the King and Prince William were 'outraged' at Harry's suggestion that they were 'trapped' by the institution. A royal source said: 'He wrote a deeply personal note to his dad to try and set things straight but tensions are still running high.' The family's priority was supporting the Queen ahead of the funeral, with an unspoken agreement to park personal issues.
It has been reported that Harry has since reached out to William in hopes of 'calling a truce'. However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams suggested a return to royal life would be 'a humiliation for Meghan and Harry' and 'beyond extraordinary'.
