Prince Harry has broken his silence on father King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis.
“I love my family,” Harry, 39, said during a Friday, February 16, appearance on Good Morning America. “The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”
Buckingham Palace announced on February 5 that Charles, 75, had been diagnosed with “a form of cancer,” but did not offer specifics.
“I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could,” Harry said of his father on Friday. (Us Weekly confirmed on February 6 that Harry had taken the trip from Los Angeles to London in order to see his father. Photos at the time showed a car taking Harry from London’s Heathrow Airport to Clarence House.)
EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry to @ReeveWill on visiting King Charles after cancer diagnosis: “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see and spend anytime with him, I’m grateful for that.” https://t.co/yDp82WU7Bk pic.twitter.com/lO0cebeO9i
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 16, 2024
While Harry did not provide any further details about his father’s diagnosis, he did confirm that he would be returning to London in the near future.
“I’ve got other trip plans that will take me through the U.K., or back to the U.K.,” he said. “So, I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.”
Earlier this month, royal expert Gareth Russell told Us exclusively that the king’s cancer diagnosis could “build a bridge” between Harry and Charles.
“We often see in families, incidents like this bridge a gap,” Russell noted. “Cancer is nothing to be taken lightly and maybe it puts into perspective quarrels and fights that you’ve had before.”
The father-son relationship has been strained since Harry stepped back from his royal duties and relocated to the United States with wife Meghan Markle in 2020.
“[Charles’ cancer] could also be a case of as it was with [Queen] Elizabeth II‘s funeral, that this is more of a temporary emotional rebounding that will then fall apart, partly because of the geographical distance,” Russell added.
News of Charles’ cancer diagnosis came one week after he underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostate. However, royal reporter Omid Scobie reported via X that Charles is not battling prostate cancer. Buckingham Palace also noted that Charles will be briefly stepping away from his engagements for the time being.
“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” read the initial statement about his diagnosis. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”
