Prince Harry said he believes "the British public are on my side" and that he has adopted a principle from his wife, Meghan, to "just stick to the truth," in comments made during a visit to Kyiv on Friday.
The Duke of Sussex told reporters he and his wife agree that telling the truth "is the most efficient way to live," and that he has made truth-telling a personal rule. He also denied being "miserable" in California, saying, "I am very happy with who I am and I like the life that I live," and acknowledged the last four years have involved "very stressful events" including litigation and revelations that have caused him pain.
Harry made the remarks after a four-day solo trip to the United Kingdom, where he met with charities he supports and held a reconciliation meeting with his father, King Charles. The duke said the visit brought the prospect of his children visiting the UK "closer," confirming reports that he would now consider returning to Britain with his son and daughter despite security concerns that followed the withdrawal of his official police protection.
Addressing critics, he said, "I think the British public can speak and think for themselves," and added that speaking out sometimes "annoys some people and it goes against the narrative." He defended his 2023 memoir, Spare, and a Netflix series with Meghan, saying they were not exercises in revenge but aimed at accountability and at correcting a one-sided public record. "You cannot have reconciliation before you have truth," he said.
The duke characterised parts of his public life since leaving royal duties in 2020 as marked by uncertainty and legal battles. He said the litigation and "finding out certain things" had been among the most hurtful experiences of recent years. His spokesperson described the UK trip as positive, noting Harry had "loved being back in the UK, catching up with old friends, colleagues and just generally being able to support the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him," and saying he completed his final engagement linked to the Diana Award.
Harry's comments came while he was in Kyiv to support injured veterans and to promote his work linked to the Invictus Games. He travelled via Poland and arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Friday morning, where he visited a makeshift memorial for Ukrainian and foreign soldiers.
The duke's remarks recalled the 2021 interview he and Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey, in which they made allegations of racism within the royal household and described their struggles with mental health. The interview prompted an unprecedented response from the late Queen, who said at the time that "recollections may vary." Harry said this week that the memoir and the Netflix projects were "a series of corrections to stories already out there," and that he did not believe he had "aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear."
Spare, a 416-page memoir published in January 2023, contains a number of sensational claims about family relations, including an account alleging a physical altercation with his brother, Prince William, and disclosures about his past drug use and mental-health struggles. The book became the fastest-selling non-fiction title in UK history after publication. The revelations deepened a rift that has kept Harry apart from key royal duties and, in the view of some observers, from regular contact with his father and brother.
Royal sources have said the recent meeting between Harry and the king was constructive and that Charles is keen to rebuild his relationship with his son and to spend time with his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, whom he has not seen for several years. A palace source said the king had previously urged his sons not to make his final years unhappy. According to people close to the family, while Charles engaged with Harry this week, the Prince of Wales did not meet his brother during the same period despite being in the same part of the country.
Security arrangements remain a live issue. Harry has previously lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office over the withdrawal of public-funded police protection for his family while in Britain. He acknowledged the stress around security and safety in public remarks this week but indicated that the recent meetings had made a return with his children more conceivable.
The duke reiterated that he and Meghan aim to live truthfully and that that approach underpins both their public statements and their media projects. He said the public's response to his UK visit made him feel "a lot of support from the British public," and added that he had come away from the trip with a greater sense that reconciliation could be possible if based on an honest account of events. The visit and his comments underline ongoing negotiations, public and private, over the Sussexes' relationship with the wider royal family and their role in public life.