Prince Harry: Buckingham Palace responds after Harry loses court case and unleashes on royal family

Buckingham Palace has responded after Prince Harry’s bombshell interview exposing the depths of the rift tearing apart the royal family.

Elsewhere the interview has been greeted with shock and anger, with royal commentators describing it as a historic moment and one notorious Harry critic trying to rally support for the King against his “treacherous rat of a son”.

Reeling from a devastating court ruling that denied his legal challenge to increase security arrangements made by the UK Government following his decision to step down from royal duties, a “gutted” Prince Harry unleashed a spectacular attack, claiming he had been “stitched up”.

Harry, who is believed to spend millions on personal security was hoping a ruling in his favour would increase his security detail and help cut his costs.

Sitting down for an emotional interview with the BBC after his expensive loss in the court, Harry tipped a bucket on his family.

Laying bare the scale of the royal rift, Harry admitted his father, who is receiving treatment for cancer, was no longer speaking to him and that he would unlikely visit the UK with his young family again due to the security concerns.

How King Charles really feels

Before the court verdict, it was revealed King Charles was “frustrated and upset” with his rogue son.

A friend of the King’s told The Sun it would have been “constitutionally improper” for him to intervene in the court case.

“What has frustrated and upset him on a more personal level is the Duke’s failure to respect this principle,”they said.

“And for his supporters to suggest that somehow his father doesn’t care about his family, or should step in.

“He’s been particularly concerned that it has taken considerable resources and cost for the Government to defend their position.”

In a statement after the verdict, Buckingham Palace said: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”

Harry unleashes

But in the BBC interview Prince Harry claimed the royal household had “stitched him up”, sacrificing him to protect other senior members and blamed his father for not doing more.

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

“I love my country, I always have done despite what some people in that country have done. I miss the UK. I miss parts of the UK, of course I do. And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show ... my children my homeland.”

While he offered an olive branch by saying he doesn’t know how much longer his father has to live and that he would love to be reconciled, his outburst is unlikely to smooth the waters.

“Of course some members my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they will never forgive me for lots of things. But you know, there is, I would love ... reconciliation with my family ... there’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he added.

“It would be nice to have that reconciliation part. Now, if they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”

Hours after the explosive interview, Harry backed it up with a written statement on his sussex.com website saying he and his family were subjected to neo-nazi and extremist threats, including from Al Qaeda.

He said he was “born into life-long circumstances that create inherent security risks”.

“My decade of military service, particularly two tours of duty in Afghanistan, as well as social media and tabloid media frenzy, have only intensified those threats,” he wrote.

“Uncovering how my immediate family’s safety was knowingly put at risk, as well as who was behind it and who sanctioned it has been truly devastating.”

He went on: “This all comes from the same institutions that preyed upon my mother, that openly campaigned for the removal of our security, and that continue to incite hatred towards me, my wife and even our children, while at the same time protecting the very power that they should be holding accountable.

Royal watchers react

Royal historian Professor Kate Williams said Harry’s “angry and resentful” barrage was a significant moment that would be “written about by the historians of the future about Harry”.

“He’s bristling with anger, isn’t he, and resentment. And mistrust of the royal household. And despair over his father’s attitude, I suppose,” she told Sky News.

“It’s just such a sad and sorry saga. I had hoped eventually there might be some kind of reconciliation, but clearly, although Harry says he wants reconciliation, he doesn’t see he can do that now.”

Notorious Harry and Meghan critic Piers Morgan has issued a call out on social media for people to stand with King Charles against his “treacherous rat of a son”.

“He trashed his family as Prince Philip was dying.. he trashed his family as The Queen was dying… and now he’s trashing his family as both his father and sister-in-law have been battling cancer. Is there a more contemptible public figure in the world than Prince Harry?” he write in a post on X.