Prince Harry issues health update on father King Charles amid cancer battleChiara Fiorillo Wed, October 21, 2026 at 8:02 AM UTC
Prince Harry has shared an update on King Charles (Image: GQ)
Prince Harry has shared an update on his father, King Charles, as he continues to battle cancer.
In a new interview, the Duke of Sussex, 42, opened up about his grief after losing his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12 years old and explained his approach in dealing with his father's ongoing health issues.
The prince said the monarch, 77, is "getting better." In the interview, he also said he wants to "reconcile" with his family but stated that "some people don't want it to work out."
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GQ journalist Zach Baron told Harry that his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago and, while he is doing well, he feels like he has been experiencing "almost a kind of anticipatory grief."
Asked if he has felt something similar, the monarch's youngest son replied, "Yes, I have. And I think that that is perhaps helpful.
The Duke of Sussex said his father is 'getting better' (Image: GQ)
"It's the one thing that we are all going to experience, which is the loss of a parent, both parents, and the loss of friends. That's universal."
The journalist then asked Harry whether, having suffered the traumatic death of his mother, having a sick parent now feels triggering.
Sharing an update on the king's condition, the prince replied, "Yes, but he's getting better."
He continued, "I think there's a big difference between losing one parent and losing two. From the friends of mine that have lost two, they go, 'Well, now I'm an orphan, even if you're in your 40s or 50s.'
"I'd never heard someone say that to me before. I was like, 'Wow, I hadn't considered that.' But then also I've always thought to myself since I was a young kid, and in conversations with other friends of mine, which is, 'If you had a choice, what would you choose to have a parent ripped away from you suddenly without any preparation, or having the long-term suffering, but the ability to say goodbye?'
"And it turns out that there is no answer because I've got friends and family who are suffering from cancer.
"I've had a mom that was taken away from me too soon, and I have spoken very openly about one of my biggest regrets is that last phone call I had with her.
"If I'd known it was the last call with her, how different that conversation would've been. And I'm the one that has to live with that. And the fact that as a 12-year-old kid, all I wanted to do was go off and run and play with my cousins."
Harry also acknowledged during the interview that "scars stick around forever" but despite this, he said he wants to repair his relationships with his father and brother.
"Some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out. With everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile. That's the key point," Harry said.
He added, "Scars stick around forever. But what your perception is, and what your mindset is to those things that have happened, letting go of the past, that's something that I would encourage everybody to do."
A spokesperson later said his "some people" comment was "absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family."
Harry said he would like to repair his relationships with his brother and father (Image: Getty)
Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, moved back to the UK in late August, six years after their decision to leave their roles as working royals and move to California widened a gulf in the royal family.
The couple's criticism in interviews included accusing an unspecified royal of racism and calling palace staff insensitive to Meghan's mental health.
But Harry, who is fifth in the line to the throne, had already said last year he would like to reconcile with his family and spend more time with his father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Source: Entertainment
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