Prince Harry has spoken candidly about his friction with the royal family and the factors that may have caused the rift.

In a new ITV documentary, Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry discusses his decision to take legal action against several of Britain's largest tabloids. Revealing that it is “still too dangerous” for Meghan Markle to return to the UK, Harry explained that the tabloids were the cause of his deteriorating relationship with his family.

“Yeah, that's definitely a central part of it,” Harry said in Tabloids on Trial. 'But it's hard for me to answer because when I talk about my family I get a barrage of invective from the press. Unsurprisingly, Harry did not want to discuss his family relationships. But it seems that the prince could not avoid the fact that his decision to go to court was already causing difficulties.

Speaking about the much-publicized court battle, Harry said in the documentary, “I hope we can do this as a family. I hope we can do this as a family,” he said. He continued, “I believe that from a service perspective and when you are in a public role, these are things we should do for the greater good.”

In December 2023, Prince Harry was ordered to pay a massive £140,600 (about $180,960) in damages in a court case against the Daily Mirror. The judge ruled that the tabloid had used “phone hacking” to illegally gather information about the prince and used it to produce an article.

In response to the historic ruling, Harry released a statement saying (via The Guardian), “Today is a great day for truth and accountability.” Prince Harry continued, “This case is not just about hacking, but about illegal and horrific acts, followed by systematic practices of concealment and destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which will only become clear through this litigation.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's friction with the royal family seems to have soured many relationships. However, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have reportedly kept in touch with the two, no matter what difficulties it has caused.

According to People magazine, a source claimed, “The whole drama between him and Princess Meghan and the rift with the rest of the family is really stressful for them.” The insider continued, “They see both sides of it, and it's hard for them to watch.”