An Unexpected Royal Says ‘Everybody’s Bullying’ Prince Harry: ‘I Just Find It Terrible’

Prince Harry is receiving support from a fellow royal across the Channel.

Belgium’s Princess Delphine appeared on this week’s episode of the It’s Reigning Men podcast, where she shared her thoughts on the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing estrangement from his family.

Delphine, 57, reflected on following Princess Diana’s life and tragic death in 1997, which occurred when Prince Harry was just 12 years old.

“They lost such an important figure, and I feel very sorry for Harry because I think that was traumatic for him,” she said.

She continued, “I think Harry suffered so much, and I think he was traumatized, and it’s coming out now. I think there is this thing with security, I think it’s to do with what happened to his mother,” referring to the Duke’s recent loss in his legal effort to restore publicly funded security in the U.K. Prince Harry has maintained that he “does not feel safe” bringing Meghan Markle and their children to Britain without official police protection.

“I understand the guy,” Delphine added. “He’s just traumatized. He’s doing these things, and everybody’s bullying him, but not thinking about his trauma, and I just find it terrible because I feel like he’s just been kind of left.”

Princess Delphine’s comments come with a personal understanding of royal family complexities. She didn’t know that her biological father was King Albert II of Belgium until she was 18, and only after a long legal battle and a DNA test in 2020 was her royal status officially recognized. Since then, she has been participating in public engagements alongside Belgium’s royal family.

The rift between Prince Harry and the British royal family became public in 2020 when he and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties and relocated to California. Tensions intensified through candid interviews, a revealing Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s memoir, Spare.

However, there may be signs of reconciliation. On July 9, two of Prince Harry’s senior aides—Meredith Maines, his chief of staff and communications director, and Liam Maguire, the couple’s U.K. spokesperson—met with Tobyn Andreae, communications secretary to King Charles. The informal meeting took place at the Royal Over-Seas League in London and was first reported by The Mail on Sunday.

“It was a good first step,” a source told PEOPLE. “It is always better to be talking.”

While palace insiders have described the discussion as a professional exchange between communications teams, it may also signal a reopening of communication between Harry and King Charles after years of strained ties.

“It’s a positive step,” the source added. “There’s optimism that it can be taken forward.”