London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Apr 10, 2026

Prince Harry says Diana would be 'heartbroken' over Royal Family rift

Prince Harry says Diana would be 'heartbroken' over Royal Family rift

Princess Diana would have been "heartbroken" about the conflict with his brother Prince William, Prince Harry has told a US television interview.

He told Good Morning America their mother would have been saddened at the arguments, which he said were fuelled by briefings to a divisive press.

Prince Harry said there had to be "accountability" before reconciliation.

He also ruled out a return to the UK as a working royal.

Prince Harry told ABC News TV interviewer Michael Strahan a return to such a life within the Royal Family in the UK would be "unsurvivable".

"That's really sad, because that's essentially breaking the relationship between us," said Prince Harry, in an interview about his memoir, Spare.


In the book Prince Harry speaks about the traumatic legacy of his mother's death in a car accident in 1997 - but says Diana would now be sad to see the dispute between her sons, with Prince Harry seeing William as his "arch nemesis" as well as "beloved brother" and describing a physical altercation between them.

"I think she would be looking at it long term to know that there are certain things that we need to go through to be able to heal the relationship," he said in the interview.

He also spoke about his relationship with Camilla, the Queen Consort, saying they hadn't spoken for a long time, but he didn't think of her as an "evil stepmother".

Prince Harry said he had compassion for her as the "third person within my parents' marriage".

It was soon presented as "Meghan versus Kate", says Prince Harry about the sisters-in-law


"She had a reputation and an image to rehabilitate. And whatever conversations happened, whatever deals or trading was made right at the beginning, she was led to believe that would be the best way of doing it," he told the US news show.

These claims, presenting Prince Harry's view of events, have so far not drawn a response from Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace.

In an ITV interview on Sunday, Prince Harry had accused the Royal Family of failing to defend his wife Meghan - with overnight viewing figures showing it had been seen by an audience of 4.1 million viewers, behind Call the Midwife and Happy Valley which drew over 5 million that evening.

Prince Harry highlighted the controversy over a Jeremy Clarkson newspaper column, saying the "silence is deafening" from the Royal Family about what he called the "horrific" Sun article.

He contrasted this with the quick action taken after a race row at a Buckingham Palace reception.

The Clarkson article about Meghan had described how the columnist was "dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her".

A poster in a London bookshop promoting Prince Harry's book


Later taken down by the Sun and prompting an apology from the paper and Mr Clarkson, the article was described by Prince Harry as "horrific and hurtful and cruel towards my wife".

"The world is asking for some form of comment from the monarchy. But the silence is deafening. To put it mildly," he said.

"Everything to do with my wife, after six years, they haven't said a single thing.

He also said he believed that stereotyping about Meghan - as an "American actress, divorced, biracial" - had been a barrier to Prince William and Catherine "welcoming her in" to the family.

"Very quickly it became Meghan versus Kate," he said of how the relationship was presented in the media, also saying it was fair to say "almost from the get-go" that the sisters-in-law did not "get on".

Prince Harry accused the Royal Family of "getting into bed with the devil" to improve its image - which he linked to relationships between "certain members of the family and the tabloid press".

The prince contrasted the lack of a royal response to the Clarkson article with the events that followed an encounter at Buckingham Palace between Lady Susan Hussey and Ngozi Fulani, just three weeks earlier.

While attending an event, Ms Fulani - a black British charity founder - was challenged repeatedly by Lady Hussey about where she was "really from".

The controversy that followed produced a rapid apology.

Prince Harry defended Lady Hussey, saying "she had never meant any harm at all". But he contrasted the reconciliatory meeting held between her and Ms Fulani at Buckingham Palace with the response to Prince Harry and Meghan's complaints.

Prince Harry also gave an interview to Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes on CBS News, which aired a few hours after ITV's show, and saw him speaking about Camilla, the Queen Consort, and her relationship with the media.

Cooper asked the duke about comments he made in his memoir suggesting that Camilla would be "less dangerous" if she was happy.

Prince Harry said Camilla's need to "rehabilitate her image" and her "willingness" to forge relationships with the British press made her dangerous.

"And with a family built on hierarchy, and her on the way to being Queen Consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street because of that."

The ITV interview had also returned to Prince Harry and Meghan's previous claim - made in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey - that a member of the Royal Family had raised questions about the skin colour of their future child.

Prince Harry again did not name the individual - and suggested this might have been a case of "unconscious bias" rather than racism.

Asked if he would see the questioning as racist, he said: "I wouldn't, not having lived within that family."

He rejected that he had accused members of the Royal Family of racism in the Oprah interview, saying the "British press had said that".

Prince Harry made repeated criticisms of the tabloid press - saying that it was his "life's work" to change the media landscape.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
OpenAI Halts Stargate UK Project, Casting Uncertainty Over Britain’s AI Expansion Plans
Starmer Voices Frustration Over Global Pressures Driving UK Energy Costs Higher
UK Deploys Military Assets to Protect Undersea Cables From Suspected Russian Threat
Canada Aligns With US, UK and Australia as Europe Prepares Major Digital Border Overhaul
Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance Sparks Fresh Speculation
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
UK to Partner with Shipping Industry to Rebuild Confidence in Strait of Hormuz, Cooper Says
UK Interest Rate Expectations Ease Following US–Iran Ceasefire Agreement
Starmer Signals Major Effort Needed to Fully Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Gulf Visit
UK Fuel Prices Face Ongoing Volatility Amid Global Pressures and Domestic Factors
Kanye West’s Planned Italy Festival Appearance Draws Debate After UK Entry Ban
Smuggling Routes Shift Toward Belgium as Migrant Crossings to UK Evolve
Ceasefire Offers Potential Relief for UK Fuel and Food Prices Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
Iran Conflict Raises Questions Over UK’s Global Influence and Military Preparedness
Senator McConnell Visits Kentucky to Highlight Federal Investment in Local Projects
Kanye West Barred from Entering UK as Legal Grounds Come into Focus
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
Public Reaction Divides Over UK Decision to Bar Kanye West
Calls Grow for UK to Review US Base Access Following Concerns Over Escalating Rhetoric
UK Indicates It Will Not Permit Use of Its Bases for Potential US Strikes on Iran’s Energy Infrastructure
UK Prime Minister Defends Decision to Bar Kanye West, Questions Festival Booking
UK Accelerates Efforts to Harmonise Medical Technology Rules with United States
Wireless Festival Cancelled After Kanye West Denied Entry to the United Kingdom
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with five counts of war-crime murder for the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians
The CIA’s Secret Technology That Can Find You by Your Heartbeat Successfully Locates Downed Airman
Operation Europe: Trump Deploys Vance to Hungary to Save the EU
King Charles Faces Criticism From Some UK Christians Over Absence of Easter Message
Former UK Defence Secretary Raises Concerns Over Ability to Counter Iran Missile Threat
UK Signals Non-Involvement in Iran Conflict as Trump Reasserts Firm Deterrence Stance
US and UK Strengthen Medical Device Cooperation Following Tariff Removal
Trump Backs Steve Hilton for California Governor, Highlighting Reform Agenda
UK Seeks Closer Ties With Anthropic as AI Policy Divergence Emerges Across Atlantic
Experts Warn of Evolving Extremism After Teens Arrested in UK Ambulance Arson Case
UK Convenes Talks to Safeguard Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz After Conflict Escalation
Trump Highlights Strong Leadership in Critique of UK Stance on Iran
UK Authorities Review Kanye West’s Entry Status Following Festival Backlash
UK Considers Deploying Aircraft Carrier for US Independence Day Celebrations Amid Renewed Transatlantic Focus
United Kingdom Moves to Attract AI Firm Anthropic Amid Tensions with US Defense Officials
RAF Intercepts Iranian Drones in Middle East to Defend Allied Security Interests
Labour Signals Shift on Foie Gras and Fur Restrictions to Advance EU Trade Talks
×