Prince Harry sent shockwaves through the palace when he released his explosive memoir Spare, laying bare his fractured relationship with his brother Prince William.
The book made headlines around the world, not least for Harry’s claim that his relationship with the Prince of Wales turned physical during a heated argument in 2019. In Spare, Harry writes that tensions flared over Meghan Markle, whom he had married the year before, and that William took issue with her behaviour.
According to Harry, William described Meghan as “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”. He then recounts how the disagreement escalated quickly: “[William] set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.
“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
How Prince William ‘reacted’ to Harry’s memoir Spare
Harry adds that his brother later left the room “looking regretful” and apologised for the incident. Prince William has never publicly responded to the claims made in Spare.
The memoir also revisited other controversies from Harry’s past, including the Nazi costume he wore to a fancy dress party in 2005. Harry described it as “one of the biggest mistakes of my life” but alleged that William and his wife Princess Kate had encouraged him to wear it.
In the book Charles III, royal author Robert Hardman claims that William could not bring himself to read Spare at all. According to Hardman, a source said, as reported by the MailOnline: “His staff remain adamant that he and the Princess [of Wales] refused to open a book which has caused so much pain.”
Hardman also quotes a source who claimed William was “mortified by Harry’s casual betrayal of so many fraternal secrets”. Another senior advisor reportedly told the author that William was briefed on the book’s key points and behaved in an “admirably grown-up” way despite the personal nature of the revelations.
Reps for Prince William have been contacted for comment.
Since stepping back from senior royal duties in 2020, Harry has spoken openly about his family in a series of interviews, as well as in Spare itself. Alongside Meghan, he sat down with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. They made damning allegations about the monarchy and royal life, once again sending shockwaves through the institution.
‘I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry’
Unsurprisingly, the memoir triggered a fierce backlash, with critics accusing Harry of sharing too much. But Harry has consistently defended his decision to tell his side of the story.
I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public.
Speaking to The Guardian last September, Harry said the book was intended to correct what he saw as misleading narratives.
He said: “I know that [speaking out] annoys some people and it goes against the narrative. The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out and it needed to be corrected.
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“I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear.”
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