Prince Harry explains UK return with Meghan and children, hopes to reconcile with King Charles, Prince William

Prince Harry has recently opened up about the reasons behind his family's return to the United Kingdom after spending several years in California. During an interview, he also spoke about his strained relationships with his father, King Charles III, and his older brother, Prince William.

Prince Harry reveals why he returned to the UK

During an interview with GQ, the Duke of Sussex discussed the importance of raising his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in Britain and being closer to his family.

"Opportunities for the family,” the 42-year-old said when asked about the decision. "Being able to put the kids in a British school has meant a lot to me. I didn’t know how important it was to me."

Also Read: Harry, Meghan never accepted Queen Elizabeth’s terms for royal exit: Report

Harry, who shares seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet with Meghan Markle, further added, "I always thought it was going to be something that I would try and do or that we would try and do, but now they’ve been in school for two weeks."

Prince Harry wants to resolve family differences

Alongside discussing the relocation, Harry spoke candidly about distance between himself, King Charles and Prince William.

Asked whether he grieved the complicated relationships with his father and brother, the Duke replied, “Yes, of course.”

He went on to add, "That continues to come up with me the whole time with people that I speak to, so I know how relatable it is.

Also Read: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to spend Christmas away from royal family

Harry suggested, "Some people maybe look at us and go, ‘How are you gonna work it out? Maybe that will help me work my stuff out’.”

He then made his position on reconciliation clear. “Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out. With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile — that’s the key point.”

His remarks led to speculation about whether he was referring to William. However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex clarified that Harry was not directing the comment at his brother or another relative.

The representative said the remark “was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family. The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.”

Also read: Prince Harry opens up about depression, & recovery: 'I felt guilty being happy'

When asked whether the damage to his family relationships could be repaired, Harry said, "Look, scars stick around forever."

He also explained, "That's something that I would encourage everybody to do: If there's certain things from the past that are still affecting you every day, that's harder to let go of."

Harry indicated that he hoped the family could leave some of its past disputes behind.

“What happened back then was then. What's happened over that over the last six years has been a continuation of that. Some battles that had been fought — and necessarily so,” he said.

Prince Harry and the royal family's strained relationships

Harry's relationship with the royal family grabbed attention after he and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020. The couple subsequently settled in California.

Also read: Harry, Meghan react after photographers spotted near Archie, Lilibet's school

In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan discussed their difficulties with the institution and alleged that an unnamed royal had made a remark about Archie's skin colour. They also spoke about the lack of support Meghan felt she had received.

Harry later revisited his family relationships in the Netflix series Harry & Meghan and his 2023 memoir, Spare. The book included his account of a 2019 confrontation with William that he alleged had turned physical.

Despite the public disagreements, Harry has repeatedly spoken about his wish to rebuild his relationships with his father and brother.