Prince Harry reveals Prince Charles stopped answering his phone calls after royal departure

Prince Harry has admitted that his father stopped responding to his calls after he disclosed his plans to withdraw from royal duties with his wife Meghan Markle

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Sir David Attenborough, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the "Our Planet" global premiere at Natural History Museum on April 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
(Image credit: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty)

Prince Harry has revealed that Prince Charles started ignoring his phone calls after he and Meghan shared their intentions to 'step back' as senior royals. 

Prince Harry has opened up about his strained relationship with Prince Charles, following his decision to 'step back' from the royal family with his wife, Meghan Markle. 

During the second half of the couple’s CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, which will air on for British television tonight, the Duke of Sussex admitted his father refused to answer his calls after he emigrated to North America with Meghan. 

“You just said your dad stopped answering your calls,” Oprah said. “Why?” 

“Because I took matters into my own hands,” Harry explained. “It was like I need to do this for my family.” 

Harry was clear that, contrary to tabloid reports at the time of the couple’s departure in January 2020, the royal family was well aware of their plans to leave. 

“This is not a surprise to anybody; it's really sad that it's got to this point, but I've got to do something for my own mental health, for my wife's, because I could see where this is headed."

Harry also denied the widespread reports that the Queen was ‘blindsided’ by his and Meghan’s withdrawal from their royal duties. “No. I've never blindsided my grandmother,” he said. “I have too much respect for her.” 

When Oprah asked him how this rumor started, Harry suggested it may have been the work of Buckingham Palace. “I hazard a guess that it probably could have come from within the institution,” he said. 

According to Harry, he was open with both the Queen and Prince Charles on his intention to step down. 

"When we were in Canada I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls,” he said. 

Prince Charles has yet to provide any comment on the interview. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.