Prince Harry Wants to Reconcile With William: What He Told GQ

Prince Harry says he wants to “work it out” with King Charles and Prince William, and he gave his reasons for moving his family back to the U.K. In a GQ interview published October 20, Harry named “opportunities for the family,” British schooling for his children and being closer to relatives. He also said “the most important thing is to reconcile.”

Quick answer: Harry, 42, told GQ he wants peace with his father and brother, and that Archie and Lilibet are “loving” their new school. A spokesperson says his line “some people don’t want it to work out” was not a swipe at his family. No meeting with Charles or William has been reported since the move.

• Official (Harry, to GQ, as quoted by Variety and BBC News): “Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.” Also: “The most important thing is to reconcile.”
• Official (Harry, to GQ): the move was about “opportunities for the family” and putting the kids in a British school. He said the family is “closer” to relatives and friends.
• Official (Sussex spokesperson, per ABC News): the comment “was not directed at his family in any way.”
• Reported: the interview was recorded in late September in New York, and GQ chose the release date, per the spokesperson (BBC).
• Not reported: any in-person meeting with Charles or William since August. ABC says the pair are not known to have seen them.

Updated: October 20, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ET. What changed: first published. Facts last verified October 20, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ET against Variety, BBC News, ABC News and USA Today.

Why did Prince Harry move back to the U.K.?

Harry’s answer was short and practical. “Opportunities for the family,” he told GQ, and then the schools: “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.” Archie is 7 and Lilibet is 5, and he said they have been in class for two weeks. He added that he is not criticizing American schools, and that two cultures at that age is “so important today,” per Page Six and USA Today.

USA Today also reports that the move was not “planned for a long time” and the process was “very short.” It notes that Meghan was reported over the summer to have been offered a role in “The Gentlemen,” which is filmed in England. That role did not happen, and she is reading scripts, per USA Today. Harry did not explain what “opportunities” means, so any link between the two is analysis, not fact.

Does Prince Harry want to reconcile with William and King Charles?

He says yes. Asked whether he grieves the relationship with his father and brother, Harry answered “Yes, of course,” per ABC News. He called family estrangement “massively relatable” and said that “scars stick around forever,” but urged “letting go of the past.”

The BBC’s royal correspondent notes that, despite living nearer, there has not seemed to be any more emotional closeness with William. The BBC also points out that Harry sent a similar bridge-building message in a May 2025 interview, so the tone is consistent rather than new.

What did “some people don’t want it to work out” mean?

Harry did not say who he meant, per USA Today. His spokesperson told ABC News and the BBC it was “absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family,” and that nothing should be read into the timing. Treat any claim that he was pointing at William as speculation. Nobody on the record has said so.

What do the competitors skip?

Most early coverage leads with the reconciliation quote. Three details get less space: the interview was recorded last month and GQ picked the release date, the spokesperson’s denial, and the fact that no meeting with the King or William has been reported. This post separates what Harry said from what outlets infer.

What this means for readers

• Do not read this as a reunion. Nothing in the interview announces a meeting or a date.
• Watch for a royal response. As of this update, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have not been quoted in the sources we checked.
• The King’s health is the other thread. Harry said Charles is “getting better,” per the BBC.
• Check the date on any claim that Harry is “back in the royal fold.” He and Meghan remain private citizens, per ABC News.

Timeline

• 2020: Harry and Meghan step back as senior royals and move to California.
• 2023: Harry’s memoir “Spare” describes family tensions, including a physical fight with William, per ABC News.
• August 2024: the last time Harry and William are known to have been together, at their uncle’s funeral, per ABC News.
• May 2025: Harry tells the BBC he wants to build bridges.
• July 2026: Charles sees Harry, Meghan and the children, the first time in four years, per ABC News.
• August 2026: the Sussexes move back to the U.K.
• Late September 2026: GQ interview recorded in New York.
• October 15, 2026: Harry and Meghan’s first joint public visit since the move, in Nottingham. Our earlier report covers that visit.
• October 20, 2026: GQ publishes the interview.

Analysis: the interview reads as a public olive branch with no private channel confirmed. Harry framed reconciliation as a mindset (“letting go of the past”) rather than a plan, which gives William and Charles nothing specific to answer. That is our reading, not a reported fact.

Related: Meghan’s recent charity work in the Moms Offering More sweatshirt story. We source from named outlets first; see our editorial standards.