Prince Harry’s explosive interview, court loss won’t ‘detract or distract’ united royal family: palace aide
The royal family has put on a united front after Prince Harry aired his grievances again.
On Monday, King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace in London. It was their first official appearance, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), which honors the victory of Allied powers and the end of WWII in Europe in 1945.
A palace aide told Sky News that the royal family is "fully focused" on this week’s events. Out of respect for the surviving veterans, nothing will "detract or distract," despite Harry’s latest interview.
"The king, queen and other members of the royal family are much looking forward to all the week’s VE Day events, when they will unite with the rest of the nation and those across the Commonwealth and the wider world in celebrating, commemorating and giving thanks to the wartime generation whose selfless devotion, duty and service should stand as an enduring example to us all – and must never be forgotten," a palace aide told the outlet in a statement.
WATCH: PRINCE HARRY HAS SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS ‘TORTURING’ THE ENTIRE ROYAL FAMILY, EXPERT ARGUES
On Friday, Harry said he wanted to reconcile with his family after losing a court battle over his publicly funded security, which he said led his father to stop talking to him.
"I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore," the 40-year-old told the BBC. "I don’t know how much longer my father has."
The Duke of Sussex said that he was devastated to lose the case, which was a source of friction with his 76-year-old father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. Harry has met with him briefly once since his diagnosis early last year.
"He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff," said Harry.
The prince aimed at Buckingham Palace officials after the court of appeal rejected a bid to restore his police protection detail that was stripped by a government committee when he stepped away from his royal duties and moved to the U.S.
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Harry has been estranged from his family since departing the U.K. and moving to California in 2020. In 2023, he wrote a tell-all memoir, "Spare," which lists embarrassing details about the House of Windsor and his sibling rivalry with Prince William, heir to the throne.
Harry said Friday’s court verdict meant it would be impossible to safely bring his family back to the U.K.
The royal family has chosen to follow Queen Elizabeth II’s mantra – keep calm and carry on.
During the VE Day outing, Charles and Camilla were joined by several members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Edward, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. William and Kate were also joined by their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The royal family were joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as veterans from the Royal British Legion, which is the U.K.’s largest charity for the armed forces.
The king served in the Royal Navy as a young man, People magazine reported. As sovereign, he is head of the armed forces. According to the outlet, a core priority of the royal family’s work is supporting the British military and honoring the sacrifices made by veterans.
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Harry served in the British army for a decade. He lost his honorary military titles when he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior royals.
During his latest sit-down, Harry said, "I don’t know how much longer my father has."
"Life is precious," he said. "… It would be nice to reconcile."
In what appeared to be a show of solidarity, Meghan posted a photo on Instagram of Harry and their children walking together in a garden.
Harry said that the king could resolve his security issue by stepping out of the way and letting experts make the decision. He said the committee includes two representatives of Buckingham Palace who have blocked his security in the U.K. He called on Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to order a review of the process.
"Whether you’re the government, whether you’re the royal household, whether you’re my dad, my family, despite all of our differences, do you not want to just ensure our safety?"
In response to the court ruling, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that the issue had been meticulously examined by the courts "with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."
The ruling is likely to leave the Duke of Sussex with a large bill to pay the U.K. government’s legal fees — in addition to his own lawyers’ costs.