LONDON –
Prince Harry alleges in a highly anticipated new memoir that his brother, Prince William, lashed out at him and physically attacked him during a furious argument over the deteriorating relationship between the brothers, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
The newspaper said it had obtained an advance copy of the book “Spare,” due to be published next week.
He said Harry recounts a 2019 argument at their Kensington Palace home, in which he says William called Harry’s wife, former actress Meghan Markle, “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.” Harry claims William grabbed his brother by the neck and broke her collar before pulling him to the ground, the newspaper said.
“I landed in the dog’s bowl, which broke under my back, the pieces cutting me open,” the book says. “I stood there for a moment, stunned, then stood up and told her to come out.”
Harry says that he had “scratches and bruises” as a result of the fight. William later apologized, the excerpt says.
Separately, celebrity website Page Six reported that the book alleges that William and his now-wife Kate encouraged Harry to wear a Nazi uniform to a costume party in 2005. Harry has repeatedly apologized, calling the decision one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
Neither Buckingham Palace, which represents King Charles III, nor William’s Kensington Palace office have commented on the claims.
The book, due to be released on Tuesday, is the latest in a series of public revelations and allegations by Harry and Meghan that have rocked the royal family.
Harry, 38, and the American actress were married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Less than two years later, the couple stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California, citing what they saw as the racist treatment of the media towards Meghan, who is biracial, and a lack of support from the palace.
They have since presented their side of the story in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a six-part Netflix documentary released last month, chronicling the couple’s painful relationship with the UK media and estrangement from the Royal family.
In the series, Harry claimed that William yelled at him during a family gathering and accused palace officials of lying to protect his older brother, who is now the heir to the throne. Meghan, 41, has spoken about wanting to end her life as she struggled to cope with toxic press coverage.
Harry has recorded interviews with the British broadcaster ITV and CBS in the United States to promote the book. Both will air on Sunday.
In snippets released ahead of time, Harry told ITV that the royal house had cast him and Meghan as “villains” and “showed absolutely no willingness to reconcile.” He told CBS that the palace’s refusal to defend him and Meghan from the attacks was a “betrayal.”
Palace officials have refused to comment on Meghan and Harry’s allegations.
The book also explains the reasons for its title, The Guardian said. He said Harry recounts his father’s alleged words to his mother, Princess Diana, on the day of his birth: “Wonderful! Now you have given me an heir and a spare, my work is done.”
While William was destined from birth to be king, Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne behind his brother and William’s three sons, often seems to struggle with the more ambiguous role of “leftover.” . She spent a decade in the British Army, what she has described as her happiest years, before assuming full-time royal duties in 2015.
Since parting ways with the royal family, he has launched a new career, with his wife, as a charitable activist and media personality in the United States.
Asked by ITV’s Tom Bradby if he will play a role in the future of the British monarchy, Harry said: “I don’t know.”
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