Prince Harry Grateful for Visits as Father Battles Cancer: “I Love My Family”

In a rare U.S. television appearance on Friday, Prince Harry told ABC News that he is “grateful” to have the means to hop on a transatlantic flight at a moment’s notice to visit members of his estranged family, which is just what the Southern California transplant did when he learned of his father’s cancer diagnosis.

“I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could,” Prince Harry told Good Morning America while discussing the hours following the surprising announcement from Buckingham Palace in a segment that aired on Friday morning. “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”

The King’s diagnosis was announced by Buckingham Palace on Feb. 5 and at 2 p.m. on the following day, the Duke of Sussex was seen at London’s Heathrow Airport after touching down on a red-eye from L.A. From there, he was then ushered in a convoy to the royal residence Clarence House in central London, where met with his father for a reported 45 minutes.

The Palace has not publicly revealed details of King Charles’ diagnosis, which comes just 18 months after he ascended to the throne of England, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The cancer was discovered during a routine prostate exam but is not prostate cancer, the Palace made clear. 

Prince Harry was mum on that topic while speaking with GMA, but he did indicate that this was not the only time he’ll be returning to Blighty and spending time with his estranged family. The royal, who has relocated to Southern California with his wife, Meghan Markle, was formally asked to return the keys to Frogmore Cottage, the couple’s former residence at Windsor Castle, in June after Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, further aired his grievances about his life as a British Royal. 

“I’ve got other trips planned that will take me through the U.K., or back to the U.K., and so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can,” he told Reeves.

The Duke of Sussex has been at the center of multiple controversies in the past few years. It’s been four years since he and Markle ditched their lives with the Royal Family and started over stateside, and no signs have emerged of a narrowing of the rift with his brother Prince William that came with his exit from Royal life. He also made headlines this year while at the center of a class action lawsuit involving the widespread use of phone hacking by three U.K. tabloids. But Prince Harry was on GMA to discuss his passion project: the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style competition for wounded service members that he founded a decade ago.

A week after visiting his ailing father, he flew to Whistler, British Columbia, the location of the 2025 games. Speaking with Reeves, Prince Harry explained that during his work on the Invictus Games, he’s seen some of the strength of family bonds. 

“Throughout all these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “You know, again, the strength of the family unit coming together.”