Harry is begging to mend things with the royals. As a psychologist, I can see he has a lot of work to do

October 23, 2026 — 8:00am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

No gift articles left

You've used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.

Family relationships and estrangement are two of the most common topics I hear about in my therapy rooms. No one else knows how to push our buttons like family, and the hurts that fester from childhood often play out in adulthood.

Estrangement occurs in average, suburban families and in famous, wealthy families. The difficulties in the British royal family show no one is exempt from these types of troubles. Prince Harry said this week he wants to reconcile with his father and brother, after an estrangement that included his and his wife Meghan’s decision to step back from public duties and leave England for America, and Harry’s publication of a tell-all book about a family that has been historically very private. His revelations were seen by many as a betrayal. Now, after six years he has moved back to England and told GQ that “with everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile – that’s the key point. Scars stick around forever.”

Reconciliations after an estrangement are not easy. The task is impossible if either party does not see a benefit. In many of the families I work with, estrangement occurs after some form........

© WA Today