Prince Harry’s Security Battle Deepens Rift with King Charles

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaves the Royal Courts of Justice on April 8, 2025 in London, England

While Harry, 40, has spent years in U.K. courtrooms challenging the tabloid press, the legal appeal to restore his state-funded official security — removed in 2020 after he and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties — holds particular personal importance. After a hearing on April 9 at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, he said the case “has always mattered the most.” For him, the fight is about safeguarding Meghan and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, and possibly salvaging ties with his father.

The case is entwined with personal tensions. King Charles’s advisers are linked to RAVEC, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which denied Harry’s security. Harry believes the withdrawal of security was a calculated move to pressure him and Meghan against stepping away from royal life. In his view, the decision was not only punitive but revealed the extent to which the institution would go to control their actions — a revelation he found “difficult to swallow.”

Prince Harry remains “distant” as ever from his estranged father King Charles

Harry has expressed that his father, as ceremonial head of state, could intervene and have his protection reinstated, though the palace denies any direct control over the matter. The emotional distance between father and son has widened in recent years. Their most recent in-person meeting was a 30-minute encounter in February 2024, shortly after Charles, 76, announced his cancer diagnosis. Queen Camilla, 77, was present, and since then there have been no private conversations between father and son.

According to sources close to Harry, his attempts to reach out — through calls and letters — have gone unanswered. When King Charles was hospitalized on March 27 due to treatment complications, Harry reportedly learned of it through the media. During his last three trips to the U.K., including the most recent one for the security hearing, Harry was not able to see his father. Charles’s schedule, including a state visit to Italy, conflicted with the visit, despite Harry’s court date having been set well in advance.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, has been completely estranged from his relatives ever since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, quit royal life in 2020 and moved to the US.

Harry remains unaware of his father’s current medical status, and some of those close to him believe Charles is intentionally avoiding direct contact to steer clear of involvement in the legal dispute. “The legal battle puts Harry in direct contact with the people who are carrying out the King’s orders,” said royal author Sally Bedell Smith. “If his father was to say something even seemingly innocuous, it could end up landing in the middle of the court case.”

A palace source suggested it might be possible to distinguish between personal and official matters, but noted that tensions have remained “febrile for a while.” Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, 42, is also fractured. Communication between the two has reportedly ceased, with messages and calls going unanswered.

Communication between the father-son duo is virtually non-existent, as Harry is no longer on speaking terms with his ailing father

The publication of Harry’s memoir Spare only deepened the divide. The book shared private conversations and long-held disputes, straining trust within the family. According to those close to the situation, these disclosures made reconciliation even more difficult.

Despite the distance, Harry still wants his children to connect with their British heritage and develop relationships with extended family. Throughout the court proceedings, some information shared privately has unsettled him. “People would be shocked by what’s being held back,” he said. Sources close to his legal team expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of the case, with a ruling expected in the coming weeks.

Regardless of the court’s decision, Harry remains committed to the fight. He described himself as “driven by exposing injustice” and determined to “get under the bonnet and fix” systemic flaws. For Harry, the matter is deeply personal — ensuring the safety of Meghan and their children is non-negotiable.

“He feels very strongly this is something he must fight for,” said a source close to the situation.