Prince Harry has spoken publicly about his father for the first time since King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer.
In a pre-recorded interview with Good Morning America that aired on Friday, the Duke of Sussex spoke to journalist Will Reeve about the Invictus Games and his life in the U.S. He also opened up about visiting his father in London after Buckingham Palace revealed on Feb. 5 that the monarch was receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Harry said: “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.” The royal averted questions about the specific details of his father’s health, saying “that stays between me and him.”
When asked if the King’s sickness is likely to have a “reunifying effect” for members of the royal family, Harry said he is “sure” it could. “Throughout all these families, I see it on a day to day basis… the strength of the family unit coming together.”
Harry also spoke to Reeve about balancing his own family and life in California with his responsibilities in the U.K. “My life in California is as it is. I’ve got other trips planned that will take me through the U.K. or back to the U.S. so I will stop in and see my family as much as I can,” he said.
The royal was coy about his experiences as a father, joking that it was “super top secret,” but he confirmed that his children Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, are doing well. “The kids are doing great. The kids are growing up, like all kids do, very fast. They’ve both got an incredible sense of humor and make us laugh and keep us grounded every single day,” Harry said.
The royal said his time in the U.S. is “amazing” but stopped short of saying he felt like an American. He also revealed that he has considered applying for U.S. citizenship, saying: “It’s a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly not something that is a high priority right now.”
Harry also told Reeve that his desire to run the Invictus Games and help veterans stems from the “life of service” he has always led. “I get my fix being with these guys.”
Harry and his wife of five years, Meghan Markle, had been visiting a training camp in Whistler, British Columbia, on Wednesday, ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games, an annual sports competition for injured military veterans that Prince Harry founded in 2014. Harry participated in Skeleton—a head-first bobsledding sport that will feature in next year’s games—telling Reeve he is only “sometimes” competitive, depending on what the game is.
Away from next year’s tournament, the couple is keeping busy with the relaunch of their official website. The name has been rebranded from Sussex Royal to lose the royal connotation following their step back from duties. They also ceased use of their official social media accounts. The new website Sussex platforms the Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, and other patronages, ventures, and organizations they share or hold individually.
On Feb. 13, Meghan announced a new deal with Lemonada Media to continue her podcasting work that began with Archetypes, a collaboration with Spotify that focused on female stereotypes. The podcast ran for a single series before the termination of a deal with the audio streaming giant in 2023.
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Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com