When Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III, recently met in London, royal watchers wondered whether a reconciliation was on the horizon, and with it, a new leaf for the ruler’s second son. However, Harry recently gave an interview containing some searing insights into his past and family, in addition to commenting on some of the recent years’ controversies around him.
Harry, who turns 41 Monday, sat for an interview with UK media outlet The Guardian, which has been critical of the monarchy and even, in a 2000 editorial, advocated for its abolishment. In 2023, within weeks of Charles’ coronation, the paper also published an investigation into the monarch’s finances.
The Guardian followed Prince Harry on every step of his surprise trip to Ukraine last week. He was invited by Superhumans, an organization that provides prosthetics and rehabilitation programs to soldiers and civilians injured in the conflict.
The trip to Kyiv was partly for Invictus Games business: The veteran-focused sports foundation has taken center stage in Ukraine since the first team participated three years ago. Harry and his colleagues met with injured veterans and their families, as well as those working in the veteran space, and were confronted with shocking figures and stories: more than 130,000 people with serious wounds, often facial mutilation or disability, and a war that seems endless.
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The Guardian‘s account of traveling with Prince Harry shows a man deeply immersed in his role as an ambassador for the Invictus Games Foundation, and committed to understanding the conflict in the Ukraine. The story begins with a description of the journey to Kyiv, an overnight ride from Medyka to the Polish-Ukrainian border that. Though he was traveling on business, the interview also shows another, more informal side of Harry’s personality. He reveals that he doesn’t like to pose for photographs and isn’t fond of cycling, joking that he has “a bony ass.” He boxes for exercise instead: “Hitting the hell out of a bag,” he told the paper, helps him relieve stress.
According to the article, Harry was jovial during the train ride, walking around in socks and cracking dad jokes. In public, however, he maintains a confident voice and natural charm with strangers. When alone, he speaks softly, listens, and asks questions about people and politics.
