Prince Harry: Duke of Sussex says King ‘won’t speak to me’ over security row as he loses UK protection appeal

In an interview with the BBC after losing his Court of Appeal challenge against the government, the Duke of Sussex said: “There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family. I’ve forgiven them.”

However, he said that despite this, communication with King Charles remains strained. “The King won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” he said, adding: “I don’t know how long he’s got.”

The remarks came just hours after Harry lost his appeal over a decision to downgrade his publicly funded police protection in the UK. The case centred on a ruling made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) in 2020, after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties and moved to California.

Ravec had determined that Harry would no longer receive the same level of police security when visiting the UK, a decision the prince argued put his family at risk.

The duke said that his private security team in the US lacks access to sensitive UK intelligence, which he claims is essential for protecting his wife Meghan and their children during visits to Britain.

Harry has repeatedly expressed concern for his family’s safety, particularly after threats from extremist groups. In court, his legal team referenced a threat from al-Qaeda, who reportedly named him in a document encouraging assassination.

The government’s legal team maintained that the security decision had been taken in a “unique set of circumstances” and was proportionate, lawful, and within Ravec’s remit. The Court of Appeal agreed.

The ruling marks a significant setback in the duke’s broader efforts to maintain royal security rights since exiting public royal life.

Despite the ongoing legal and personal tensions, Harry has insisted he wants to rebuild his relationship with the Royal Family. “I’ve always said that I want a family, not an institution,” he said previously.

In response to the Duke of Sussex’s failed legal challenge over his security in the UK, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”