Prince Harry has declared his “conscience is clear” as his hopes of reconciliation with King Charles and the Royal Family appear closer than ever.
Following his reunion with the King last week, the Duke of Sussex mounted a firm defence of his actions since stepping down as a working royal with Meghan Markle in 2020 – focusing on his explosive memoir, Spare.
Following his landmark four-day trip to the UK, Harry made a surprise stop in the Ukraine to support efforts to rehabilitate veterans in the nation.
While there, he spoke candidly about his meeting with King Charles and issued a robust defence of Spare, which he described as a necessary “correction” of the public record.
Prince Harry has declared his 'conscience is clear' amid his hopes of reconciliation with King Charles and the Royal Family
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"It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out and it needed to be corrected," Harry said.
To that end, the duke was adamant he had not “aired my dirty laundry in public”.
“It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear,” he declared.
In the pages of the 2023 memoir, Harry made several bruising claims about the Royal Family including damaging feuds with his brother, Prince William.
The Duke of Sussex made the candid admissions during his surprise trip to Ukraine
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"It is not about revenge, it is about accountability," Harry explained to The Guardian.
Even still, the duke acknowledged that his decision to be candid would continue to ruffle feathers.
“I know that (speaking out) annoys some people and it goes against the narrative," he said.
When pressed about being perceived as unable to move on, the prince pushed back against the characterisation.
Harry robustly defended his explosive 2023 memoir spare as a necessary 'correction' of the public record
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"It's not stubbornness, it is having principles," Harry responded.
Thinking back on the time outside of the Firm, the duke admitted: “I have certainly had to deal with some very stressful events over the last four years. There has been the uncertainty and stress of the litigation and finding out certain things that have really, really hurt.”
His comments come as speculation over a return to the royal fold is stronger than ever, following his “great” meeting with his estranged father at Clarence House.
The Duke of Sussex met with his father for the first time in over a year and a half on Wednesday September 10, where they shared “a private tea”.
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The duke said 'you cannot have reconciliation before you have truth' following last week's reunion with the King
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While Harry would describe the meeting as "great" in the hours following, he cautioned in Ukraine that rebuilding the relationship with his family required hard truths being aired.
“You cannot have reconciliation before you have truth," the prince stated.
That admission brought Harry to invoke some advice from his wife, Meghan Markle.
“She said 'just stick to the truth'. It is the thing I always fall back on. Always," he recalled.
The Duke of Sussex will today celebrate his 41st birthday, with questions over potential royal well wishes being issued hanging in the air.