Prince Harry has been accused of hypocrisy over his calls for reconciliation with the Royal Family after years of public disputes with his relatives. The Duke of Sussex has repeatedly spoken about his strained relationship with his family since he and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and moved to the US.
Public Revelations and Legal Battles
Since then, Harry has made a string of public revelations about royal life, including during interviews, his Netflix series with Meghan, and his memoir, Spare. The Duke has also been involved in several high-profile legal battles in Britain, including cases involving the press and his security arrangements.
However, Harry has more recently spoken about wanting reconciliation with his family, prompting questions about whether damaged relationships with his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William, can ever be repaired.
Commentators Weigh In
The issue was discussed by Express Royal Editor Emily Ferguson and commentator Carole Malone on the Daily Express's weekly Royals Unscripted video podcast. Emily said Harry would have to acknowledge the hurt he had caused if he genuinely wanted to rebuild bridges with his family.
She said: “I think what anyone and everyone will say is if he really wants to reconcile, he needs to hold his hands up. He needs to apologise. It needs to be a heartfelt apology. He needs to acknowledge all the hurt he's caused, especially to his brother.”
Carole went considerably further, arguing that Harry's public comments were making reconciliation more difficult. She said: “And he needs to shut up. I mean, this is the point. Every time he speaks, he causes more problems.”
Accusations of Disingenuousness
Carole also took aim at Harry's comments about the need to let things go, arguing that his own actions in recent years did not align with that message. She said: “He also talks in like psycho babble speak. He was saying things, always riddles. 'We have to let things go.' This is from a bloke who can't let anything go.”
She added: “This is a bloke who for years has been pursuing newspapers for stuff they said 10 years ago, taking them through the courts, spending multi-millions. Why didn't he let that go? Why didn't he let go of all the stuff he was getting from the Royal Family before he left? They were trying to put him in line, saying you can't do this, you can't do that. Why didn't he let that go and just do his job and get on with it?”
The comments were made on Royals Unscripted, the Daily Express's weekly video podcast hosted by Emily and Carole, which looks at the latest news and developments surrounding the Royal Family.
