Has Prince Harry officially parted ways with the royal family? In Touch explores where the Duke of Sussex stands with King Charles and Prince William amid reports that William wants to strip Harry and wife Meghan Markle of their “Royal Highness” titles when he becomes monarch.
Did Prince Harry Leave the Royal Family?
Prince Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back as senior royals and plans to become financially independent in January 2020, revealing they were going to balance their time between the U.K. and America while “continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
Meghan and Harry officially confirmed on February 19, 2021, that they would not be returning as working members of the British royal family. This revelation came after their relocation to Montecito, California, in July 2020, where they have since resided.
Tension escalated between Harry and his royal family members after Harry and Meghan went public with their grievances during a 2021 CBS television special and later in their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. Harry’s bombshell 2023 memoir, Spare, and his follow-up interviews were claimed to have deepened the rift.
Prince Harry Recently Spoke About His Current Relationship Status With the Royal Family
Harry told the BBC he “would love a reconciliation” with his family during a candid May 2025 interview, admitting he was “devastated” after losing a court battle over his security in the U.K.
Following the court ruling, Harry confessed, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”
Harry also claimed during the interview that King Charles “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” noting he wants to drop the drama between them as he did “not know how much longer my father has” amid the monarch’s battle with cancer.
“There have been so many disagreements between me and some of my family,” Harry said about their estrangement, before expressing hope of restoring peace between them.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” Harry highlighted.
The on camera interview was claimed to have fueled distrust between Harry and his brother and father, according to a report from The Mirror published on May 4, 2025.
King Charles announced he was battling cancer in February 2024, one month prior to Princess Kate Middleton‘s shocking announcement about her cancer battle.
The Princess of Wales has since confirmed she is in remission in a statement shared in January 2025 after undergoing chemotherapy.
Reports Have Surfaced Claiming That William Wants to Strip Harry and Meghan of ‘HRH’ Titles
William reportedly wants to strip The Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their “Royal Highness” titles when he becomes king, sources told The Daily Beast.
The issue made headlines after Jamie Kern Lima shared a gift Meghan had sent her of a basket of “homemade strawberry sauce” with a signed card reading, “With the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.”
Those in Meghans camp, however, were claimed to have argued, “Harry and Meghan retain their HRH titles; however, by agreement, they do not use them for commercial purposes. While they do not publicly use ‘HRH,’ this was a personal gift, and their titles remain.”
It seems that despite the ongoing conflict, there won’t be any immediate action taken by Charles.
Sources close to the With Love, Meghan star exclusively told In Touch that they “wouldn’t bet” on those titles being stripped “anytime soon.”
“Not that he hasn’t thought about it, but it would cause an uproar and that’s the last thing the monarchy needs right now,” the insiders added. “Of course, King Charles has thought about it too, but he has too much to worry about. He has a lot on his plate with his recovery and this just isn’t on his agenda.”
