Duke of Sussex advised on key step needed for reconciliation with Royal Family

Prince Harry, who has spoken openly about his pain over the rift with his family, has now been given a clear piece of public relations advice: reconciliation will only be possible if he’s willing to utter one crucial word—“sorry”.

The Duke of Sussex recently expressed his deep desire to mend ties with the Royal Family in a headline-making interview with the BBC. In it, he criticised royal aides over the decision to scale back his UK police protection and admitted to being hurt that his father, King Charles, “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”, following the court’s rejection of his appeal regarding the issue.

David Yelland, former editor of The Sun and now a respected PR adviser, weighed in on the prince’s remarks. He noted that while Harry presented himself as someone grappling with trauma, there was also an air of “entitlement that the public can see”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan podcast, Yelland acknowledged, “Harry is a laudable person in many ways,” but emphasized the importance of language in public perception.

“In PR, the words you use matter deeply,” he explained. “Harry spoke of ‘reconciliation’. He clearly wants a rapprochement. But for any process of truth and reconciliation to begin, one has to be willing to say ‘sorry’ for their own role in things.”