Why I want to reconcile with my family – Prince Harry

Politics Spice Special Features Education Sex & Relationship Interview Columns Opinion Advertise with us Why I want to reconcile with my family – Prince Harry Entertainment October 21, 2026 11:42 am Prince Harry. Credit: CNN

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has expressed his desire to repair his strained relationships with his father, King Charles III, and his elder brother, Prince William, saying reconciliation is important amid other challenges facing the world.

In an interview with GQ magazine in New York released on Tuesday, Harry said he remained hopeful that the family rift could be resolved, despite opposition from some quarters.

“Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out. With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile – that’s the key point,” he said.

Harry also spoke about dealing with past hurts, encouraging people to let go of painful experiences and adopt a different perspective.

“Scars stick around forever. But what your perception is, and what your mindset is to those things that have happened, letting go of the past, that’s something that I would encourage everybody to do,” he said.

Harry acknowledged that the public remained interested in the family’s disagreements, describing them as “massively relatable”.

“Sibling disagreements, broken relationships between kids and their parents, kids and one parent – that continues to come up with me the whole time with people that I speak to,” he said.

Asked about his reasons for wanting to spend more time in the UK, Harry said the move would create opportunities for his family, particularly his children, Archie and Lilibet.

“Opportunities for the family. Being able to put the kids in a British school has meant a lot to me. I didn’t know how important it was to me,” he said.

He added, “They [Archie and Lilibet] are loving it, and it’s just giving them a whole different experience.”

Harry also spoke about the importance of spending more time in his home country and being closer to his relatives.

“To be back, closer to my family, and to be back on UK soil for longer than a few days or a week here or there,” he told the magazine.

The Duke also gave an update on King Charles’s health following the monarch’s cancer treatment, saying, “He’s getting better.”

Reflecting on the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, Harry said he had found a way to honour her memory through his work rather than remain weighed down by grief.

“I love the fact that I’m able to now sort of carry the memory of my mother with me, with my work, rather than it hold me down, pull me back, or wallow in that grief,” he said.

Harry also rejected the idea that he was seeking public sympathy over his personal experiences, pointing to the support and professional help he had received.

“I certainly don’t want any sympathy. That’s where we’re way past that. Why? Because I’m a prince. I’ve got a support network around me, I’ve done different forms of therapy, and I put in the work. I wonder where I would be if I didn’t – it could be a very different situation,” he said.

PUNCH Online reports that Harry and Meghan moved from the United Kingdom to the United States in 2020 after stepping back from their roles as working royals, in a departure that deepened tensions within the family.

Harry’s memoir, Spare, published in 2023, detailed the breakdown in his relationships with members of the Royal Family, particularly his brother, William.

Despite expressing a desire to be closer to his family, Harry’s relationship with William has shown little public sign of improvement. His latest comments, however, suggest he remains open to rebuilding those ties.

He had previously expressed a similar desire for reconciliation during a BBC interview in May 2025, while living in the United States.

Olugbenga Ige is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over nine years of professional reporting experience. He is known for his sharp eye for compelling stories and a strong instinct for identifying newsworthy developments. Over the years, Olugbenga has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.

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