Friends of the royals reacted with fury today after Prince Harry used an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America to discuss his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, and agreed with an interviewer’s suggestion that it could have a “reunifying” effect on the family.
Prince Harry also said that he has “considered” becoming a U.S. citizen in a new interview
Harry discussed his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis on the GMA interview to promote his Invictus Games project—and agreed with an interviewer’s suggestion that it could have a “reunifying” effect on the family.
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His comments about Charles’ cancer look likely to infuriate the palace, with friends of the royals telling The Daily Beast he should have stayed silent on the matter.
When asked about his recent dash to Britain to see his father, Harry said: “Um, look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”
Harry was being interviewed by GMA presenter Will Reeve, son of the Superman actor Christopher Reeve, who went on to make an apparent reference to his late father’s paralysis, saying: “I’ve also found in my own life that sort of an illness in the family can have a galvanising or a sort of reunifying effect for a family. Is that possible in this case?”
In the interview, aired Friday morning, Harry replied: “Absolutely. Yeah, I’m sure. Throughout all these [Invictus] families I see it on a day-to-day basis, again, the strength of the family unit coming together. I think any illness, any sickness brings families together.”
One friend of Charles and Queen Camilla, when told of Harry’s comments by The Daily Beast, responded: “It seems Harry has taken it on himself to use the diagnosis to publicize his own agenda. If it wasn’t so sickening it would be funny. What really would have helped the family come together would have been if Harry had said he wouldn’t be taking questions about his father.”
Another friend of the family said: “It’s hard to believe that Harry can keep finding ways to make things worse. He just needs to pipe down.”
The interview was recorded to promote the Invictus Games in Canada, and brought back uncomfortable memories for the palace of Harry’s last Invictus interview, in 2022, when he boasted about his relationship with the ailing Queen Elizabeth and said that he had visited her because he wanted to make sure she was “protected” and had “the right people around her.”
Harry’s remarks about potentially becoming a U.S. citizen are also making global headlines.
They came about after he was asked by Reeve about his life in California, to which Harry said he was “loving every single day,” which prompted his interviewer to ask if he would “think about becoming a citizen.”
“I have considered it, yeah,” Harry replied, “The thought has crossed my mind but it’s not a high priority right now.”
Asked about his children, Harry said: “The kids are doing great. The kids are growing up like all kids do incredibly fast. They’ve got an incredible sense of humour and make us laugh and keep us grounded every single day like most kids do. I’m just very grateful to be a dad.”
He said he wanted to visit the U.K. to see his family “as much as I can” but when pressed about his relationship with his family of origin said: “I have my own family. As we all do. So my family, and my life in California, is as it is. I’ve got other trips planned that would take me through or back to the U.K. so I’ll stop and see my family as much as I can.”
Asked on the “outlook” on his father’s health, Harry said: “That stays between me and him.”
Buckingham Palace did not comment.
