Prince Harry says that he and his father, King Charles, are not on speaking terms because of a years-long rift over Harry’s lack of heightened security in the United Kingdom.

In a new interview with the BBC on Friday, Harry revealed that the reason for the public falling out with his family has to do with his lack of ability to feel safe in his home country without his previous royal-level of security — something that he was hoping would change with a court ruling.

However, on Friday, a U.K. court rejected the now California-based Harry's appeal for stricter security measures when he's in the country. Now, he's opening up about the ways in which the security issue has impacted his family life.

Why is Prince Harry concerned about security?

In 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, made the decision to step down as working senior royals and move to California. Following the choice, Prince Harry and his family's publicly funded protection was downgraded following an assessment by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee.

Instead of receiving automatic security, the committee determined that his protection would be assessed individually for each visit, just as it is for other high-profile foreign visitors. Harry believes this is a problem, as he is unable to guarantee the safety of himself, Markle, and their two children while in his home country. In the United Kingdom, private bodyguards are not allowed to carry guns.

How the security issue caused a rift between the royals

Per his new interview with the BBC, Harry alleges that the removal of security measures was a tool to keep him and his immediate family close and under the royal family’s “roof,” calling it “the heart” of the “family dispute.” Ultimately, it backfired.

"Once they realized that that wasn't going to work, once they realized that, you know myself, my wife, my kids are happier outside of the institution, then please just look at the facts,” he said. “Look at the risks. Look at the threat. Look at the impact. If anything was to happen to me, my wife or my father's grandchildren — if anything was to happen to them — look where the responsibility lies, you know? So this is a duty of care that has been completely thrown out the window.”

Since then, Harry stated that he's been cut off from his father, King Charles, who is currently undergoing cancer treatments.

"I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry said. “There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don't know how much longer my father has. He won't speak to me because of this security stuff.”

Has Prince Harry interacted with his family since stepping back from royal duties?

In February 2024, Harry flew to the United Kingdom to visit his father following his cancer diagnosis. He returned to London in May 2024 for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, but there were no reports of a meeting with any of his royal family members. A representative for King Charles said at the time that he had a full schedule.

Since then, Harry and his brother, Prince William, both attended the memorial service in the United Kingdom for their late uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in August 2024 — however, they were not seen interacting at the event.

All of this comes after a long-reaching interview Harry and Markle did with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, in which the couple spoke about some of the issues they had with the royal family, including the issue of security.

This was particularly concerning to the couple, given that Markle gave birth to the pair’s first child, Archie, in May 2019 — the first member of the royal family to be a person of color. “In those months when I was pregnant, all around this same time — so we have in tandem the conversation of 'He won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title,' and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born,” Markle alleged.