“Reconciliation has never seemed so far away.”

Prince Harry and King Charles.Credit: Getty

ince Harry’s bombshell BBC interview on May 2, reconciliation seems farther away than ever for Harry and King Charles, according to royal commentators.
In the interview Friday, Harry said at one point that he didn’t know how much longer his father had left to live as the King’s cancer treatment continues following his diagnosis in early 2024.
Harry appeared for the first time since the BBC interview aired on May 6 in Las Vegas, where he attended an event in support of The Diana Award, named after his late mother Princess Diana.

Prince Harry’s explosive BBC interview last week likely didn’t push he and father King Charles any closer to reconciliation, royal commenters shared.

In the May 2 interview—which the Duke of Sussex gave after his appeal to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security in the U.K. was denied—Harry said, in part, that he didn’t know how much longer his father (who is receiving cancer treatment) had left to live and that he couldn’t see himself bringing wife Meghan Markle and kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet back to the U.K. sans security protection. Harry also put at least some of the onus on the King, saying, “There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands. Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts [to] do what is necessary.”

Prince Harry and King Charles.Getty

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Us Weekly of the bombshell BBC interview, “I think it will confirm the King’s view that he is not to be trusted.” He added that Harry’s “comments on the monarch’s health are unlikely to have gone down well, either.”

Royal biographer Christopher Andersen—who has written numerous books about the royal family, including The King: The Life of Charles III—told the outlet that “If Harry really wants to reconcile with his family, he has an odd way of showing it.”

“Harry delivered the coup de grace when he said he wanted to bury the hatchet with his father because he doesn’t know how much time the King has left to live,” he continued. “If you are someone undergoing cancer treatment, to hear those words from your son would, I think, be fairly upsetting. Not exactly a resounding vote of confidence in your choices of making a full recovery.”

Prince Harry on April 9, 2025.Getty

Andersen added that the King’s focus is “on staying healthy enough to do the job he waited 70 years to do,” and not engaging in a public tit-for-tat with his son. “If Charles had any indication to reach out to Harry—and I haven’t seen any movement in that direction over the past two years—then he certainly has no reason to reach out now,” Andersen said, adding that he was doubtful fences would ever be mended between the two. “There is just too much bitterness there, too many burned bridges,” he said.

Fitzwilliams added that Harry’s BBC interview was “a serious own goal,” and that “reconciliation has never seemed so far away, which, also, is a tragedy.”

Prince Harry and King Charles.Getty

Harry spent May 6 in Las Vegas in support of The Diana Award, named in honor of his late mother Princess Diana. Speaking to those in attendance, Harry said, “Through The Diana Award, I’ve had the privilege of meeting young people who have turned adversity into action. That’s not just inspiring—it’s the kind of untapped potential we can’t afford to overlook.”

Prince Harry on April 8, 2025.Getty

“This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead—they are already doing it,” he continued, per People. “They bring emotional intelligence, social awareness, and an honesty about mental health that previous generations struggled to express. What sets them apart isn’t just their boldness, but their refusal to settle for the status quo…When they stand up for themselves and stand up in their communities, that is what we need. We need fearless leadership.”