Prince Harry’s ‘Upsetting’ Comments About King Charles’ Cancer Likely Worsened Their Feud: Royal Expert

Prince Harry’s recent comments about King Charles III likely didn’t land in the palace, royal experts speculated.

“I think it will confirm the king’s view that he is not to be trusted. The previous attempts by the Sussexes to monetize their royal connections led to the deep rift that exists,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Us Weekly exclusively. “His comments on the monarch’s health are unlikely to have gone down well either.”

Fitzwilliams was referring to Harry’s bombshell BBC News interview on Friday, May 2, in which the Duke of Sussex stated, “I don’t know how much longer my father has,” while discussing their ongoing family rift. (Charles,76, was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in February 2024.)

A second royal expert, Christopher Andersen, shared similar thoughts with Us via email regarding Harry’s comments about his father’s health.

“If Harry really wants to reconcile with his family, he has an odd way of showing it,” Andersen stated, referencing Harry’s recent U.K. security trial.

“He slams his father for interfering in the trial, then says the Palace rigged the outcome, then accuses the Royal Family of not caring about the safety of his wife and children, and winds up declaring that for now he can’t foresee any scenario in which he would take his family to the U.K.,” Andersen continued. “Harry delivered the coup de grace when he said he wanted to bury the hatchet with his father because he doesn’t know how much time the King has left to live.”

Andersen added, “If you are someone undergoing cancer treatment, to hear those words from your son would, I think, be fairly upsetting. Not exactly a resounding vote of confidence in your chances of making a full recovery.”

Andersen noted that the king’s focus is “on staying healthy enough to do the job he waited 70 years to do,” not reconciling with his son.

“If Charles had any inclination to reach out to Harry — and I haven’t seen any movement in that direction over the past two years — then he certainly has no reason to reach out now,” he added. “I hate to say it, but I seriously doubt that the relationship between the King and Prince Harry will ever be resolved. There is just too much bitterness there, too many burned bridges.”

Harry spent two days in a London court in early April after appealing a decision to rid him and wife Meghan Markle of government-funded security following their 2020 departure from the royal family. He faced a landmark loss on Friday when the appeal was dismissed.

“Harry is angry and gutted. He should have released a dignified statement,” Fitzwilliams added. “Instead — unless it goes down well in the United States and elsewhere — this will be considered a serious own goal, which may have consequences for himself and his family for years to come. Reconciliation has never seemed so far away, which, also, is a tragedy.”

During his BBC News interview after the decision, Harry claimed that his ongoing security issues stem from the rift with his father.

“There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands,” Harry claimed. “Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts [to] do what is necessary.”

Fitzwilliams told Us that it “wasn’t wise” of Harry to call for “government intervention” during his public plea, before discussing what the royal family’s public outing for VE Day on Monday, May 5, really meant.

“Today the royals on the Palace balcony were a symbol of unity,” he added. The Palace made it known that they hoped nothing would detract from the occasion, which honors veterans. It’s clear what was meant.”

Charles has yet to publicly address his son’s interview but released a statement about unity ahead of Monday’s public outing.

“[The royal family] will unite with the rest of the nation and those across the Commonwealth and wider world in celebrating, commemorating and giving thanks to the wartime generation whose selfless devotion, duty and service should stand as an enduring example to us all — and must never be forgotten,” a Buckingham Palace rep said on Monday.