After claiming King Charles “refuses” to speak to him in response to his ongoing security battle in the UK, Prince Harry has shared his hopes for a “conciliation” with the Royal Family.
Prince Harry has opened up about his estrangement from his father, King Charles, in the wake of his security battle.
The Duke of Sussex today sensationally lost his Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements whilst in the UK. The ruling handed down earlier this afternoon is a huge blow for Harry, who previously argued he wanted his children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, to know their UK heritage.
However, he feels he is left with no option but for his wife, Meghan Markle, and his children to stay out of his beloved homeland unless they have taxpayer-funded police protection. Talking just hours after the “devastating” decision, Prince Harry spoke to the BBC about his hopes of a “reconciliation” with his family, adding that his father “refuses” to talk to him.
He also admitted that he “doesn’t know how much longer my father has”. The Duke continued, “Of course, some members of my family will never pardon me for writing a book.” They will never, after all, forgive me for many things. But you know, I would love reconciliation with my family. There is no point in fighting any longer, as I’ve always said.
Life is precious, I said, and I was right. I don’t know how much longer my father has he, he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile. “
When asked if the last step to repairing relations with his family was the security issue, he said” 100%”, adding:” Whatever noise is being created, whatever stories have been written, this has always been the sticking point.
God forbid anything should happen, so put yourself in my shoes if you take a step back and try to take on the same official role that you were born into, for the sake of your wife, your mental health, and your child, which is currently being made public. And I have no regrets about it.
” But 2020, when that decision happened, I couldn’t believe it. I was really shocked by it. With all the disagreements and the current chaos, I believed that my family would be the one thing keeping me safe.
“And not only did they decide to remove my security in the UK, but they also signalled to every single government around the world not to protect us”.
King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, made an open admission of the “daunting and occasionally frightening experience” of receiving his diagnosis a day later. In a written note, Charles expressed his appreciation for the “profound impact of human connection” and noted how “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion” before hosting a special reception for cancer charities at Buckingham Palace.
In the personally penned message for the programme of the event, attended by champions of cancer charities and those who are living with cancer, including radio DJ Adele Roberts, TV personality Ashley Cain, actor Richard E Grant, and the parents of the late campaigner Dame Deborah James, the King highlighted the gravity of 1,000 people a day being handed a cancer diagnosis.
Revealing his own feelings of becoming “among those statistics myself”, he added: “I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.” Charles was diagnosed with cancer last February following a three night hospital stay at The London Clinic in Marylebone for an enlarged prostate procedure. Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer.
Harry claimed he learned about his father’s ill health in the media after Charles was admitted to a hospital last month after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment, just like everyone else.
Harry’s emotional interview with the BBC comes after he had been challenging the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the country.
The duke’s lawyers told the Court of Appeal that his safety, security, and life are “at stake” and that he had been “singled out” for “inferior treatment” at a two-day hearing in April. Harry’s appeal was rejected, however, by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean, and Lord Justice Edis.
Speaking tonight with the BBC, he said: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point. The things they’re going to miss, well, that’s everything.
” I love my country, I always have done. Despite what some people there have done. I adore the UK, and I do. “He added:” I think that’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland. “
The Duke claimed that because of his security arrangements in the UK, he had not asked his father to intervene. I’ve never asked him to intervene, he continued.
“I’ve asked him to step out. I let the experts do their jobs by going outside the box. The Royals and professionals make up the Ravec committee, which is expert. He added: “Five years later, every single visit that I do back to the UK has to go through the royal household.
The royal household is still my Ravec committee representative to this day. I don’t make that choice. I am forced to go through the royal household and accept that they are putting my best interests forward during these conversations and deliberations.
“I haven’t asked my father to intervene,” I replied. The Duke of Sussex responded, “Everything,” when asked by the BBC about how his current security arrangements made him feel uneasy. He continued: “I would not have taken this this far if I did not have compelling evidence of facts that reveal why the decision was made and I am sitting here today talking to you, where we have lost the appeal, but the other side have won in keeping me unsafe, so again there is a lot of question marks that a lot of people will have.
Throughout the legal process, I am assured that I am completely informed. Based on this ruling, I have my worst fears known, and I haven’t learned that until this legal process in 2021.
“One of the first things my lawyer said to me as disclosure started, as this process started, was ‘ did you know that the royal household sat on Ravec? “, and my jaw fell to the floor.” The Duke of Sussex felt disrespected by the system, according to Sir Geoffrey, who praised the arguments made by Harry’s barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, as being “powerful and moving.”
But he said: “I concluded, having studied the detail of the extensive documentation, I could not say that the duke’s sense of grievance translated into a legal argument for the challenge to Ravec’s decision”. The duke was, in effect, entering and exiting the Ravec protection group, he continued. Although he was outside the cohort when he was in the UK, his security would be regarded as appropriate.
He added: “It was impossible to say that this reasoning was illogical or inappropriate, indeed it seemed sensible”. Ravec’s decision, according to Sir Geoffrey, was “understandable and perhaps predictable.” At Friday’s brief hearing, Harry was not present.
The Home Office, which is legally responsible for Ravec’s decisions, opposed the appeal, with its lawyers previously telling the court that Ravec’s decision was taken in a “unique set of circumstances” and that there was “no proper basis” for challenging it.
We are pleased that the court has decided in favor of the government’s position in this case, according to a Home Office spokesman. The UK Government’s security measures are fair and effective. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals ‘ security”.
The Mirror has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.
Source: Mirror
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