Prince Harry is still harbouring deep anger towards the Royal Family despite returning to Britain, with friends claiming he remains in the same “Oprah mindset” he had five years ago.
Prominent British journalist Charlotte Griffiths has revealed she spoke to several of the Duke of Sussex’s friends following his return to the UK – and claims what she heard challenged the growing narrative that Harry is ready to put the past behind him.
Griffiths, 41, is The Mail on Sunday’s Editor at Large and was drawn into the Duke’s failed privacy lawsuit against her employer, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of The Mail.
Her testimony and the subsequent legal outcome dealt a major blow to Harry, who, alongside several other high-profile figures including Sir Elton John, lost all 97 claims in the case, resulting in a hefty legal bill expected to reach as much as £35 million (about AUD$66 million).
Speaking to respected royal reporter Tom Sykes on his YouTube channel, The Royalist, on Sunday, Griffiths revealed she had been in contact with several of Harry’s friends since his return to Britain and was surprised by what they told her.
Despite reports suggesting the Sussexes are seeking a reconciliation with the Royal Family, Griffiths claimed the Duke’s friends believe he remains deeply “angry” about his treatment and continues to harbour many of the same grievances he expressed after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
“He’s [Harry’s] angry with the institution – still that word ‘institution’ comes up time and time again with Harry,” Griffiths told Sykes.
“He’s angry with how it all went down. Basically, just go and get the Oprah interview from five years ago, press play, and just repeat that – that’s where he’s at.”
During Harry and Meghan’s bombshell 2021 interview with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, the couple levelled a series of extraordinary allegations against the monarchy, detailing their unhappiness with royal life and making claims about institutional failures and racism.
After speaking with Harry’s friends, Griffiths admitted: “I mean, I don’t know about the stuff about the racism – that didn’t come up” but claimed she had heard from numerous people that the former senior royal remains just as angry as before.
Griffiths revealed that after hearing about her former friend’s return to the UK, she contacted several sources who had “naturally been checking in with him since he got back”.
According to the journalist, even some of Harry’s friends had expected his homecoming to herald a significant change in attitude towards his family.
“Because of the media narrative, which is that he [Harry] is going to say sorry and he can’t wait to see Camilla and Charles, I think people, even his own friends, were expecting him to say, ‘let bygones be bygones, things have changed, and I’ve decided to come back and turn a new leaf’.
“And so they were really, really surprised when that was absolutely not the case – it was just the same old record – that’s what a few people said to me, really, it’s like the record hadn’t changed.”
More significantly, Griffiths claimed the friends she spoke to were not criticising the Duke, but were instead worried about what his continued anger could mean for his future in Britain.
Griffiths added: “And I have to say, his friends were concerned about him. They weren’t telling tales or trying to backstab him- they were anxious, because they thought, ‘Hold on a minute, this could be a few hard months and years ahead’ because he just hasn’t grown or learnt from the whole thing.”
The claims raise fresh questions about why Harry and Meghan have chosen to return to Britain if repairing the Duke’s fractured relationship with the Royal Family is not the driving force behind the move.
When asked for her take on the Sussexes’ motivation, Griffiths admitted her own theory had changed dramatically after speaking with Harry’s friends.
“I was one of those people who thought he’s come back because he’s got bored of California, he misses England, he misses his family and friends, and he wants to make up,” she said.
“And now I think it must be to do with the fact that next year marks the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death.”
Princess Diana died 29 years ago today in a car crash in Paris, with the 30th anniversary of her death falling on August 31 next year.
Griffiths said that to honour the late Princess, there will be “a lot of events” in the lead-up to the 30-year anniversary, particularly involving The Diana Award, the charity established in Diana’s memory that continues to receive the support of both Harry and his estranged brother, Prince William, 44.
She suggested the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham could also be a major factor behind Harry’s decision to re-establish a foothold in Britain, alongside a desire to reconnect with his mother’s Spencer relatives.
However, Griffiths questioned why the Sussexes had chosen to make the move this year rather than waiting until 2027, particularly given the timing of Prince Archie’s schooling.
“Of course, it’s about Archie and Lili’s education as well – but I’ve always found that part of the story unusual, because his camp has always said that it’s all about his ‘State till eight’, as it were, the state being California,” she said.
“But actually, he [Archie] doesn’t turn eight until May, so he doesn’t start prep school until next September, so why the rush? Why was it this year, not next year?”
For Griffiths, the timing once again points back to Harry’s late mother and the approaching anniversary of her death.
Griffiths continued: “So again, I think it’s to do with Diana. And that would possibly explain why he’s living near Althorp [House], from what we’ve heard.”