Prince Harry Says He Will 'Always Be Part Of Royal Family' Six Years After Stepping Back From Role

Last Updated:April 25, 2026, 19:03 IST

Prince Harry recently said he hoped for reconciliation with his family, adding after a legal defeat over UK security arrangements that “life is precious.”

Prince Harry said he will “always be part of the royal family," six years after stepping back from official duties and relocating to the United States with his wife Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex made the remarks during an interview with ITV while visiting Ukraine on Friday, when he was asked whether he accepted the label of being “not a working royal."

“No. I will always be part of the royal family," Prince Harry replied.

Read more: ‘Can’t Imagine Anything Worse’: Sam Altman Apologises After OpenAI Failed To Flag Canada Mass Shooter

“I am here working doing the things that I was born to do," he said, adding, “I enjoy doing it. I enjoy coming to do these trips and supporting the friends that I’ve made, and hopefully bringing attention to issues that, for one reason or another, drop out of the news because something else has popped up."

Prince Harry was in Ukraine with the humanitarian landmine clearance organisation HALO, where he viewed new de-mining technology near Bucha. The visit echoed the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, who drew worldwide attention to landmine victims when she walked through an active minefield in Angola in 1997.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced in January 2020 that they planned to step back as senior royals while seeking financial independence and splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

Read more: ‘We Survive And Are Successful’: Why China’s BYD Says US Electric Vehicle Market Is No Longer Essential

The move led to crisis talks with Queen Elizabeth II, then-Prince Charles and Prince William at what became known as the Sandringham Summit. A one-year transition period followed, after which Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple would not return to royal duties.

The late Queen rejected any “half-in, half-out" arrangement that would allow the couple to combine official royal roles with private commercial work.

Since then, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have settled in California and launched charitable projects through Archewell, focusing on mental health, military veterans, women’s rights and community welfare.

Relations with the royal family have remained strained following the couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir Spare.

Prince Harry recently said he hoped for reconciliation with his family, adding after a legal defeat over UK security arrangements that “life is precious."

News world Prince Harry Says He Will 'Always Be Part Of Royal Family' Six Years After Stepping Back From Role

Read More