“It’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland,” said the Duke of Sussex, expressing his sorrow over the possibility that he may never return to the U.K. with Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry is confronting the difficult reality of staying away from his native country after a recent legal defeat regarding his security while in the U.K.
Following the rejection of his appeal against a government ruling that removed his automatic right to police protection when in Britain, Harry, 40, told the BBC on May 2: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”
It’s a powerful reflection from someone who once called Britain home and served ten years in the British Army.
“The things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything,” he added. “I love my country. I always have done. Despite what some people in that country have done.”
Harry emphasized how deeply this affects his children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
“I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do,” he continued. “I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
In a statement following the court’s decision, Harry shared: “The U.K. is my birthplace and will always be part of who I am. It is a place I love, and the country where my son was born. I’ve only ever wanted to continue my charitable work in supporting the causes and people that mean so much to me, and for my children to know the beauty of my homeland. I remain committed to a life of public service.”
Since stepping down from their roles as senior royals in 2020, Harry and Meghan have settled in Montecito, California, building a new life there with their children. But Harry’s legal efforts to regain state-funded police protection during his visits to the U.K. have persisted. The protection was withdrawn by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) after the couple left their royal duties.
Though Harry has returned to the U.K. several times, those visits have been short, heavily protected, and without Meghan or the children. He maintains that traveling without proper security is not an option when it comes to the safety of his family.
For a man whose life and identity have long been rooted in the U.K. and the monarchy, this marks a painful chapter. Harry was once a prominent member of the royal family, known for his military service and his dedication to charitable causes.
But in the years since his departure, his relationships within the family have strained, his every move has been scrutinized, and the battle over security has become central to his story—one he sees as vital to protecting Meghan and their children.
The court’s decision on May 2 confirmed the government’s position, stating that Harry’s need for protection would be evaluated individually, rather than granted by default. The ruling effectively closes the door on one of Harry’s final avenues for safely reconnecting with his home country on his terms.
Still, Harry remains unwavering in prioritizing his family’s safety, even if that means maintaining distance from the U.K. and from family members—most notably his father, King Charles, from whom he remains estranged as the monarch faces a battle with cancer.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry said in his BBC interview. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.
“Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.”
As his legal fight over security comes to a turning point, it has underscored that the divide between Harry and his family remains unresolved.
“I don’t think there is any rapprochement,” a palace source told PEOPLE. “Nothing has changed.”
Another insider added of the father and son relationship: “They are distant.”
