Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left royal life behind in 2020 with hopes of finding peace and privacy in the United States. However, the years since their departure from royal duties have been anything but quiet. After settling in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly accused the royal family of mistreatment.
Their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, followed by the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, painted a portrait of deep family tensions. Harry went further in his 2023 memoir Spare, where he openly criticized the royal institution and took aim at his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.
Despite airing these grievances, Harry recently signaled a desire to mend the rift. In a BBC interview, he said he would like to reconcile with his family. But not everyone believes the prince has helped his own cause.
Paul Burrell, who served as Princess Diana’s butler for a decade, is now speaking out about what he sees as Harry’s four major missteps in dealing with the royal family. In an interview with the Daily Express, Burrell said Harry’s biggest mistakes were publicly criticizing Princess Kate, Prince William, King Charles, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“I think Harry has got battered and bruised because he said things which any royal should never say and criticized his late grandmother, as she was dying, criticized his father as he was struggling with his own cancer battle, criticized Kate, who is struggling with her cancer battle, and his brother, who has the weight of monarchy on his shoulders,” Burrell told the publication.
“That’s hardly helpful from someone who should know better. It’s a tinder box waiting to go off. And believe me, there’ll be sparks from the other side of the Atlantic before there are on this side of the Atlantic,” he added.
Burrell’s comments reflect a broader sentiment within royal circles and among royal watchers—that Harry’s public disclosures may have caused more damage than healing. While Harry has expressed a desire to reconnect, critics argue that the road to reconciliation may be far more complicated after years of public criticism and family strain.