Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made waves when they decided to step away from the British royal family and live their lives separately in America. The move resulted in a separation of Prince Harry from his family, physically and metaphorically. The tension has been palpable and has played out in the media. The situation was strained further when Harry published his bombshell memoir, Spare, which chronicled his experience within the family and the circumstances that led to him stepping away. Now after his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, many are wondering where Harry’s relationship with his family stands following his recent visit to Britain to see his father.
GMA caught up with Prince Harry while he was in Whistler, British Columbia for the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-esque athletic tournament for wounded service members. The Duke of Sussex shared rare comments with the morning show about being a dad, his participation in the Invictus Games, and his recent trip to the UK to see his father amidst the cancer diagnosis.
Prince Harry revealed he found out about his father’s health by speaking to him personally, and he jumped on a plane immediately following the news. He said of his trip:
Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see him… I’m grateful for that.
While his comments seemed candid, he remained mum about what he said to his father during his most recent visit to England, telling the morning show that any details about his father's diagnosis and their reunion were not for the public.
That stays between me and him.
The Spare author also said during the interview that he believed the circumstances around King Charles' diagnosis might be unifying for the Royal Family. However, the prince seemed content with his decision to remain in California with his children and wife. He still did seem keen on returning to Britain in the near future, explaining:
I have my own family, as we all do. You know. My family and my life in California is as it is. I’ve got other trips planned that would take me through the UK, or back to the UK, so you know I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.
The news of the king’s diagnosis came soon after it was reported that Kate Middleton was also recently hospitalized for an undisclosed medical emergency. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly reached out following the news as well, however Harry made the trip to the UK independently. He also visited his home country recently for his father’s coronation, but the trip was allegedly brief and the Duke returned back to America very soon after.
Some have wondered: What this could mean for a family reconciliation? Prince Harry seems firm on living his life separately, and uninterested in resuming Royal duties in England. The negative experience within the UK was well documented in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, so even the diagnosis is unlikely to reverse the decision. However the circumstances could be a turning point for the Royal Family in terms of emotional togetherness.
Still, Prince Harry spoke of the experience being potentially unifying, so possibly this could be a start to some reconciliation with the Duke’s father, or at least some common ground to be found.
