The Duke of Sussex has made an admission about his estranged family while in Ukraine to support the war-torn country, and defended his decision to undertake ‘pseudo-royal tours’ to help those ravaged by conflict
15:11, 24 Apr 2026Updated 15:14, 24 Apr 2026
Prince harry says he will always be part of the Royal Family
Prince Harry has proclaimed that he will “always be part of the Royal Family”, despite quitting his royal role in 2020 and remaining estranged from most of his family in the UK. The Duke of Sussex is in Ukraine to support the war-ravaged country with a series of engagements.
Harry spoke candidly of his family during his visit to the area, hitting back at recent claims that he should not be able to undertake such international charity trips due to his status as a non-working royal. During an interview with ITV News, Harry spoke out his decision to continue his activism work in Ukraine.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan to make touching gesture on Prince Louis’ birthday, royal butler believesREAD MORE: Donald Trump’s awkward war of words with Harry and Meghan amid King’s divisive state visit
Prince Harry said he will “always be a part of the Royal Family” during a trip to Ukraine(Image: ITV)
Harry explained that “we need to feel empowered to speak truth to power”, while saying he will not be “gagged” by his critics. The Duke of Sussex spoke fondly of his philanthropic work, saying he will continue to draw attention to conflicts around the world.
He said: “I will always be a part of the Royal Family, and I’m here working doing the very thing I was born to do.” The prince added that he enjoys the trips were he can support communities that need assistance, by building relationships with those on the ground.
While Harry spoke fondly of his family, he remains estranged from his brother and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales, after his claims against them in his memoir Spare drove a further wedge between the royal brothers.
Prince Harry quit his role in the Firm in 2020(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Harry has met with his father King Charles a handful of times since relocating to California in 2020, most recently spending time with the monarch for a private tea in Clarence House when Harry was in the UK for the WellChild Awards in September 2025.
Earlier today, Harry visited the city of Bucha with his charity Halo Trust, and walked across an area filled with landmines, wearing just a protection vest. Hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war were killed in Bucha during a massacre in April 2022, when Russian forces withdrew from the city.
Following in the footsteps of his late mother Princess Diana’s walk through a landmine corridor in Angola just months before her death in 1997, Harry also walked through a mine-laden area in the war-ravaged city.
Harry walked through a landmine corridor in the city of Bucha(Image: Valentyn Kuzan for The HALO Trust 2026)
Speaking with ITV News, Harry praised the work of his charity Halo Trust and called out the parallels between his visit to Ukraine and his mother’s walk in Angola. He said: “What Halo Trust is doing is absolutely incredible work. It’s sad, it’s very, very sad because nearly 30 years ago, my mother was in Angola, here we are again in a new conflict.”
While in Bucha, Harry tried out some of the new tech used to clear sites such as a Robo dog named Spot, and new AI-powered drones operated with remote controls and VR goggles. These technologies were rapidly designed by Ukrainian forces to clear the landmines, with Harry saying: “The clean-up that is going to be needed here will go well into the next two, three, even four decades.”
The Duke of Sussex arrived in Ukraine on Thursday, where he directly called on Putin to ‘stop the war’, as he spoke at the Kyiv Security Forum. In his speech, he said: “President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing.
“There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.”
Harry directly addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin during his speech(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He then condemned the “systematic war crimes”, and the ‘chilling’ treatment of Ukraine’s children. He said: “Across occupied territories, there is mounting, documented evidence of systematic war crimes: deliberate attacks on civilians, mass killings, torture, sexual violence, and the forced deportation of entire populations.
“Under international law, the forcible transfer of children from one national group to another is not just a war crime – it can constitute an act of genocide when carried out with intent to destroy a people’s identity. This is not collateral damage. This is not the chaos of war spilling over. This is organised, systematic, intentional, and designed to endure long after the fighting stops.”
Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal
WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.