Prince Harry's reported desire for his royal relatives to “forgive and forget” his past criticisms is a “big ask”, according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
The Duke of Sussex has been vocal in his criticisms of royal life since stepping back from duties in 2020, including in TV interviews, a Netflix docuseries, and his 2023 memoir Spare. His comments have targeted certain family members, including his father and brother, as well as royal life in general.
In recent years, Harry has been less vocal in criticising his family. He is believed to be keen to repair relationships with his royal relatives and be part of the family again.
Regaining trust is a monumental task
Writing in The i Paper, Bond said: “Apart from these occasional outbursts, it does seem to me that Harry is now a man with his eyes focused firmly forward.”
“Perhaps he has laid his demons to rest by shouting about his grievances so publicly and relentlessly. But can he now really expect the family he lambasted so brutally to forgive and forget? It’s a big ask.”
Bond added: “The monumental task ahead for him is to regain the trust of his father and brother. So far, he has honoured his side of the pact to say nothing about his recent visit to King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove. That will have given some encouragement to Charles and his advisers.”
Relationships with father and brother differ
Harry appears to be making progress in mending his relationship with his father, King Charles, with the pair having most recently spent time together in July.
However, his relationship with his brother, Prince William, has shown no improvement over the last few years. William reportedly has no intention of seeing or speaking to his younger brother, and did not see Harry during his UK visit in July.
It is unlikely William will see his brother next month when the duke visits the UK again.
