Prince Harry Calls for Family Reconciliation After Losing UK Security Court Battle

“I don’t know how much longer my father has” — Prince Harry urges reconciliation amid deepening royal rift.

LONDON — Prince Harry has made a heartfelt plea to reconcile with his family following a legal defeat over his police protection in the UK — a loss he says widened the divide with his father, King Charles III.

In an emotional interview with the BBC just hours after the court ruling, Harry said, “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”

On Friday, the Court of Appeal rejected Harry’s challenge to reinstate his publicly funded security, which had been stripped after he stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the U.S. The decision dealt a personal and symbolic blow, particularly as it came amid ongoing tensions with King Charles, who is currently battling cancer.

“He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” Harry said, underscoring the strain in their relationship.

The Duke of Sussex argued that the lack of security made it unsafe to return to the UK with his wife Meghan and their two children. He claimed the 2020 decision to cut off protection left his family exposed to real threats — including one from Al-Qaida and a near-catastrophic paparazzi chase in New York.

Harry accused palace officials of playing a key role in the decision and criticized what he sees as a system meant to control him and Meghan.

“What I’m struggling to forgive… is the decision that knowingly put me and my family in harm’s way,” he said.

Despite expressing a desire for peace, Harry showed no signs of backing down from his criticism of the royal establishment.

Buckingham Palace, in a statement after the ruling, emphasized that the case had been thoroughly reviewed and upheld at every level. The court found that Harry’s security could be handled on a case-by-case basis and that his lower level of protection was a natural result of stepping back from royal life — not a legal wrongdoing.

Sir Geoffrey Vos, one of the judges, noted that while Harry’s grievances were heartfelt, they didn’t amount to legal grounds for overturning the decision.

Harry urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to revisit the security process and emphasized that, above all, his concern is for his family’s safety.

“Whether you’re the government, the royal household, or my family — despite all our differences — don’t you want to ensure our safety?” he asked.

Harry has been vocal about what he views as institutional failings, both in the monarchy and the British media. His departure from royal life in 2020 came after feeling unprotected by the institution. That year, a Home Office panel concluded there was no basis for ongoing taxpayer-funded security for the couple in the UK.

Harry, now 40, has had a mixed track record in court. He lost a prior case seeking to personally fund police protection in the UK, with officials arguing that public officers shouldn’t serve as bodyguards for private individuals — even royals.

However, he did notch major victories against British tabloids. In 2023, he won a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over phone hacking. And earlier this year, Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspapers issued a rare apology and paid substantial damages over privacy violations.

Despite the turbulence, Harry says he still loves his homeland and wants his children to know it. But for now, he only returns for funerals and court dates — not the warm family visits he once knew.