Allies of Britain’s royal family on Saturday rejected claims by Prince Harry in his new memoir that it paints the monarchy as a cold and heartless institution that failed to nurture or support him. Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the book. But British newspapers and websites are full of quotes from unnamed “royal insiders” refuting Harry’s allegations. One said his public attacks on the royal family had “damaged” the health of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September. Veteran journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, a biographer and friend of King Charles III, said Harry’s revelations were “what you would expect … from a sort of B-list celebrity” and that the king would be hurt and disappointed by them. “His concern is … acting as head of state for a nation that, as we all know, is in quite a difficult position,” Dimbleby told the BBC. a series of very public statements by the prince and his wife Meghan since they left royal life and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as racist media treatment of Meghan, who is biracial, and a lack of support from the palace . follows an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a documentary released last month. Harry is not the first British royal to reveal family secrets – both his parents used the media when their marriages fell apart. Charles collaborated on Dimbleby’s 1994 book and accompanying television documentary, which revealed the then-heir to the throne had an affair during his marriage to Princess Diana. Diana gave her side of the story in an interview with the BBC the following year, saying “there were three of us in this marriage”, referring to Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. But “Spare” goes into much more detail about private conversations and personal grudges than any previous royal revelations. In the ghost-written memoir, Harry talks about his grief at the death of his mother in 1997 and his long-simmering resentment of his role as royal “spare”, overshadowed by his “heir” older brother Prince William. He recounts arguments and physical altercations with William, reveals how he lost his virginity (in a field), and describes his use of cocaine and cannabis. He also says he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan – a claim criticized by both the Taliban and British military veterans. “Spare” is due to be released worldwide on Tuesday. The Associated Press obtained an early copy in Spanish. Harry said he expected a counterattack from the palace. He has long complained about “leaks” and “planting” stories in the media by members of the royal family. In an interview due to air on ITV on Sunday – one of several he has recorded to promote the book – Harry says people who accuse him of invading his family’s privacy “don’t understand or don’t want to believe that my family informed the press.” “I don’t know how silence can improve the situation,” he said.
Allies of Britain’s royal family on Saturday rejected claims by Prince Harry in his new memoir that it paints the monarchy as a cold and heartless institution that failed to nurture and support him.
Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the book. But British newspapers and websites are full of quotes from unnamed “royal insiders” refuting Harry’s allegations. One said his public attacks on the royal family had “taken a toll” on the health of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
Veteran journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, a biographer and friend of King Charles III, said Harry’s revelations were “what you would expect … from a sort of B-list celebrity” and that the king would be hurt and disappointed by them.
“He’s worried about … acting as head of state for a country that, as we all know, is in quite a difficult position,” Dimbleby told the BBC. “I think he’ll think it’s in the way.”
Harry’s book, Spare, is the latest in a series of very public statements by the prince and his wife Meghan since they left royal life and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as racist media treatment of Meghan, who is biracial, and lack of support from the palace. This follows from an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a a six-episode documentary released last month.
Harry is not the first British royal to reveal family secrets – both his parents used the media when their marriages fell apart. Charles collaborated on Dimbleby’s 1994 book and accompanying television documentary, which revealed the then-heir to the throne had an affair during his marriage to Princess Diana.
Diana gave her side of the story in an interview with the BBC the following year, saying “there were three of us in this marriage”, referring to Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
But “Spare” goes into much more detail about private conversations and personal grudges than any previous royal revelations.
In the ghost-written memoir, Harry talks about his grief after his mother’s death in 1997 and his long-standing resentment of his role as royal “back-up”, overshadowed by his “heir” older brother, Prince William. He recounts arguments and physical altercations with William, reveals how he lost his virginity (in a field), and describes his use of cocaine and cannabis.
He also says he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan – a claim criticized by both the Taliban and British military veterans.
“Spare” is set to be released worldwide on Tuesday. The Associated Press obtained an early Spanish-language copy.
Harry said he was expecting a counterattack from the palace. He has long complained about “leaks” and “planting” stories in the media by members of the royal family.
In an interview due to air on ITV on Sunday – one of several he has recorded to promote the book – Harry says people who accuse him of invading his family’s privacy “don’t understand or don’t want to believe that my family held a press briefing.’
“I don’t know how silence can improve the situation,” he said.
Britain’s palace allies reject Prince Harry’s claims
Source link Britain’s palace allies reject Prince Harry’s claims