Prince Harry declared on Friday that he wants to reconcile with his family after losing a court battle over his publicly funded security – but for the royal family, it’s too little, too late.
The claim was made by British royals expert Hilary Fordwich, who told Fox News Digital that everyone who knew the Duke of Sussex’s beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, believed she would have been “truly horrified” by his latest tell-all.
“For her, it would indeed have been felt as a violation of both discretion and privacy,” Fordwich explained. “She valued the little privacy her family members could maintain in such an exposed role. Being betrayed by a family member, publicly airing grievances was abhorrent to her. She was particularly private regarding matters of health and family disputes.”
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A similar sentiment was previously shared by unnamed sources with ITV News. The “exasperated” palace insiders told the outlet that the 40-year-old’s words about his father’s cancer were in “poor taste” and noted that his new outburst only shows there is “nothing that can be trusted to remain private.”
During his sit-down with BBC News, Harry said, “I don’t know how much longer my father has.” King Charles, 76, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024. The 40-year-old also told the network that the king wouldn’t speak to him due to the “security stuff.”
Fordwich said the late queen would have been heartbroken over Harry’s repeated willingness to air his grievances. It was the late queen, Fordwich pointed out, who agreed to let Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, step back as senior members in 2020 and move to California.
England’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96.
“Queen Elizabeth at the time of ‘Megxit’ hoped for the best, for family unity and discretion,” said Fordwich. “She was focused on protecting the future of the monarchy. She guarded its reputation and continuity her entire life, focusing on stability.”
ITV reported that Harry’s comments about his father’s cancer “went down very badly in royal circles.” Insiders noted that Harry’s decision to talk about his father’s health would have “appalled” the late queen.
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“The king is a kind man with a warm heart and quite enough on his plate to deal with, without all this from his own son,” a royal source told the outlet.
“The remarks about his illness were in particularly poor taste and, of course, suggest something entirely contrary to the reality.”
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Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife quit royal duties. They alleged hostility and racist attitudes by the press and the royal establishment. Since their exit, the couple has publicly spoken out in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s tell-all 2023 memoir “Spare,” stuffed with private details and embarrassing revelations, made things worse.
But Harry said what’s souring the relationship now is a decision to remove his police protection detail after he stopped being a working royal. On Friday, the Court of Appeal in London rejected Harry’s bid to restore the protection, saying a government committee was justified in deciding that security should be assessed on a case-by-case basis whenever Harry visits the U.K.
Harry blamed the palace, alleging that the decision to withdraw his security had been made at the direction of royal officials, who sit on the committee alongside police and government representatives. He said they were “knowingly putting me and my family in harm’s way,” hoping that the sense of threat “would force us to come back.”
He suggested his father was part of the problem, saying he’d asked the king “to step out of the way and let the experts do their job.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed that what should have been a 10-minute interview about Harry’s court case turned into a “delusional, damning, self-absorbed moan.”
“The queen will especially be turning in her grave,” Chard claimed to Fox News Digital. “[Harry] has shown complete disrespect for the lifelong work of the late Queen Elizabeth II… The majority of people, even non-monarchists, held the highest admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth and the unifying role she played.”
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According to Chard, the late queen had high hopes for Meghan, in particular, who was seen as a breath of fresh air for the monarchy. According to multiple reports, the queen was said to be hurt and saddened by the couple’s departure and how it was handled both personally and publicly.
“At first, the late queen was very impressed by Meghan and believed she would be an asset to the monarchy,” Chard explained. “She took her under her wing, offering help where needed. She even advised her that Sophie, now Duchess of Edinburgh, would help her with anything she may need.”
“Meghan didn’t utilize the favor,” Chard claimed.
“She made it clear that all she needed was her husband… Meghan struggled to adjust to life in the royal fold… She was reluctant to take advice. She hoped to do things her way after her marriage, not the royal way. However, Meghan was quick to detail a lack of support by the royal family for her mental health issues and media intrusion. So, Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved abroad. But it was a very quick turnaround. Conditions were agreed as they were off.”
“If they had given more notice, not the knee-jerk race that Queen Elizabeth was forced to work with, I believe the queen, along with her family, may have worked out an alternative agreement for Harry and Meghan,” Chard continued. “Harry and Meghan wanted the best of both worlds. They were unhappy and unhealthily preoccupied with their problems.”
Harry and Meghan first detailed their struggles with royal life to Oprah Winfrey in 2021. Their explosive televised interview was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally. At the time, Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, battled poor health.
“He wasn’t against TV interviews, it was part of the modern royal job,” Chard pointed out. “But the family was taught to never forget that discretion and modesty were integral to being a member of the British royal family… The interview resulted in significant fallout, with serious allegations of racism and bullying… Prince Philip was disappointed with how they handled situations.”
“Queen Elizabeth was sad… [but] she battled on,” Chard added.
Royal author Robert Hardman told People magazine that the queen “adored Harry right to the end.” He said that “one of her dearest wishes” was for the family to patch things up.
Chard doesn’t see that happening anytime soon.
“Prince William will never forgive Prince Harry for the hurt he caused their grandmother, let alone anything else,” said Chard. “Prince Harry has burnt his bridges. He’s not apologized and has blown all trust… the royal family will not reply to his comments, contradictions and deep-seated resentment.”
Fordwich agreed.
“Harry has inadvertently made further communication and reconciliation even more unlikely,” she said. “Perhaps he’s just oblivious to family norms or simply too self-centered to realize reality.”
