Prince Harry’s decision to sit down with the BBC and publicly air out his grievances in an interview last week have only worsened the growing rift between father and son.
King Charles’ relationship with Harry has been practically non-existent for the past few years. Ever since the duke decided to step back from his royal duties and move to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, things have been rather tense. However, Harry’s recent battle with the Home Office over his security in the U.K. has made contact between the prince and king even more difficult.
Harry calls out his father after his court loss
Last week Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos determined that Harry’s security concerns were “powerful and moving,” but they “did not translate into a legal argument.” Translation: the prince wouldn’t be getting what he was hoping for. In response to the devastating news the frustrated prince decided to speak his mind in an interview with the BBC.
Historically, when Harry or his wife have aired royal drama out in public it has not gone well. This time is no different as some suspect this was a manipulative tactic on the prince’s part to get his father’s attention and garner sympathy for his cause. In a piece for the Express, consultant psychiatrist, Raj Persaud broke down what may have been Harry’s motives behind doing the interview.
“With other avenues of communication apparently cut off – he claimed the King will not take his calls – this was quite possibly a bid to garner attention on the public stage in a manner they simply cannot ignore, quite possibly a form of emotional blackmail.”
It’s true that King Charles has not been in contact with his son for a long time now. The nature of Harry’s court case put him in a difficult position where he could not be seen to be taking sides. However, Harry appears to be under the impression that his father could do something about the situation and perhaps he’s trying to use the media to force his hand.
The prince wants his grievances taken seriously
It seems that, despite losing this case twice now, Harry simply refuses to let it go. Persaud suggests he may purposefully be trying to irritate that royal family in order to get his voice heard.
“The underlying message here, I suspect, is Harry telling the Royals: I will continue to make a splash in a way that, at best, is irritating, at worst damaging to The Firm, unless you start to take me and my grievances seriously.”
Of course, whether or not this will actually work is another matter altogether. The firm’s response is often to just ignore a problem until it goes away. It’s a battle of attrition to see who will give in first, Harry, or his father. However, this approach from the prince will likely not get him what he wants in the long run, Persaud suggests he move on and try his best to reconcile with his family while he still can.
Published: May 7, 2025 08:04 am