Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has once again stepped into the global spotlight with a revealing new interview, offering his most candid reflections yet on family, duty, and personal accountability. Speaking to The Guardian during a recent trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, Harry addressed the ongoing rift within the British royal family, the impact of his controversial memoir Spare, and his hopes for reconciliation—especially in light of his father King Charles’s ongoing battle with cancer.
The interview, published on September 15, 2025, took place as Harry was in Ukraine for his work with the Invictus Games Foundation, a cause close to his heart. His visit to Kyiv was not just symbolic; it was hands-on, as he met with veterans and honored those injured in the war with Russia, now entering its third year. According to BBC News, Harry laid a wreath at a memorial for the dead and used the occasion to urge respect and admiration for those living with disabilities. “Nobody should feel embarrassed or ashamed about their disabilities,” he said. “It’s about flipping from sympathy to admiration and respect.”
But it was Harry’s reflections on his own family, and the storm that has surrounded him since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, that have caught the world’s attention. In the interview, Harry was forthright about the motivation behind his memoir, Spare, which sent shockwaves through the monarchy and the public alike. “I know that [speaking out] annoys some people and it goes against the narrative,” Harry told The Guardian. “The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out and it needed to be corrected.”
He continued, pushing back against accusations that he had exposed private family matters for personal gain. “I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear.” The prince, now 41, insisted that his actions were not about revenge. “It is not about revenge, it is about accountability… You cannot have reconciliation before you have truth.”
Since Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from their official royal roles in 2020, they have faced both public scrutiny and personal challenges. The couple moved to California, citing the need for greater security and a desire for independence. Harry’s battle for continued security protection in the UK ended in disappointment, as he lost his court fight for higher protections after stepping down as a senior royal. He now admits that this has made returning to the UK with his children, Prince Archie (age six) and Princess Lilibet (age four), more complicated. Nevertheless, Harry expressed a strong desire to spend more time in England with his family. “Yes, I would,” he said when asked if he hoped to return more often. “This week has definitely brought that closer.”
The week in question was marked by a highly anticipated reunion: Harry’s first face-to-face meeting with his father, King Charles, in over a year. The meeting, which reportedly lasted 54 minutes, was significant not only for its length but for what it symbolized—a possible thaw in a relationship that, by Harry’s own admission, had been strained for some time. As Express reported, the pair had not met since February 2024, and Harry had previously told the BBC in May that the King wouldn’t “speak” to him. The recent meeting suggests that change may be underway.
Though the details of their conversation remain private, Harry was clear about his priorities in the coming months. “The focus really has to be on my dad,” he told The Guardian. King Charles’s health has been a matter of public concern since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024. Harry’s quick trip to the UK shortly after the diagnosis, and this latest reunion, signal a renewed commitment to family, even amid ongoing challenges.
The prince’s comments about his relationship with his brother, Prince William, were more subdued. According to Express, there was no reunion between the brothers during Harry’s recent UK visit, and William was seen attending royal engagements elsewhere. The pair reportedly have not been on speaking terms for some time, a fact that underscores the depth of the royal family’s internal divisions.
Harry also touched on his ongoing legal battles with the British press, including a high-profile lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of phone-hacking and unlawful information gathering. “It is not about revenge, it is about accountability,” Harry reiterated, emphasizing his determination to hold the press to account for what he sees as years of intrusion and misinformation. He acknowledged that while certain members of the British press had “destroyed” him in the public eye, he still felt a great deal of love from the British public.
The emotional toll of the past four years has not been lost on him. “Some events of the last four years have been very stressful and I have been finding out certain things that have really, really hurt,” he admitted to The Guardian. Yet, Harry credits his work with the Invictus Games Foundation for giving him renewed purpose after his military career ended. “It saved me,” he said, reflecting on how supporting wounded veterans has helped him cope with his own struggles.
Harry’s trip to Kyiv was as much about service as it was about personal healing. He highlighted the importance of recognizing the cost of war, describing the conflict in Ukraine as “all so unnecessary.” In quieter moments, he revealed that he boxes to relieve stress—just another reminder that, for all his royal pedigree, he’s human too.
As he returns to California, Harry’s future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the Duke of Sussex is determined to chart his own course, guided by conscience, family, and a sense of duty that, for all the turmoil, has never left him.
