‘I love my family’: Prince Harry says he was ‘grateful’ to fly to UK to spend time with Charles after cancer diagnosis

16 February 2024, 11:26 | Updated: 16 February 2024, 12:05

Prince Harry has said he loves his family and was "grateful" to be able to fly to the UK to spend time with Charles after the King's cancer diagnosis.

Harry discussed his father's health during an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America on Friday.

Asked how the trip home earlier this month was for him "emotionally", Harry said: "'Um, look, 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."

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Presenter Will Reeve, the son of Superman star Christopher Reeve, who was paralysed after an accident, said: "I've also found in my own life that sort of an illness in the family can have a galvanising or a sort of reunifying effect for a family. Is that possible in this case?"

Harry said: "Absolutely. Yeah, I'm sure. Throughout all these families I see it on a day-to-day basis, again, the strength of the family unit coming together. I think any illness, any sickness brings families together."

The Duke of Sussex is also expected to speak about becoming a US citizen, his relationship with his wife Meghan Markle, and the Invictus Games when the full interview airs later on Friday.

Harry, who lives in California with his wife and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, flew to the UK last week to see the King.

He visited without Meghan and their children, less than 24 hours after the announcement about Charles' health.

But there was no meeting with his brother, the Prince of Wales, after Harry spent around 45 minutes at Clarence House seeing their father.

Harry and Meghan have been on a trip to Whistler, Canada, where they have been taking part in bobsledding and sit-skiing as they promote the next Invictus Games, which for the first time will feature winter sports.

A TV crew from Good Morning America have been following Harry and Meghan during the trip.

The Duke of Sussex tried his hand at skeleton bobsled as he joined Invictus Games competitors training in Canada.

Pictures from the track in Whistler showed Harry sporting a white helmet as he speeds headfirst down the frozen track.

Harry tries skeleton bobsled as he joins Invictus Games competitors in training

The Duchess of Sussex watched her husband, one year before the global event takes place in the town, and the city of Vancouver, in western Canada.

The week has seen a flurry of announcements from the Sussexes. The duchess signed a deal with Lemonada Media to record new podcast shows, and the company will distribute her previous series.

Meghan's Archetypes podcast about female stereotypes ran for just one series before her lucrative deal with Spotify ended in 2023.

The couple also relaunched their Archewell website, the name of their foundation, rebranding it The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The launch of the site comes as the King's slimmed-down monarchy has been put under pressure, as Charles postpones all public-facing duties because of his cancer diagnosis and with the Princess of Wales out of action for the immediate future after abdominal surgery.

More follows.