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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Forsey & Jennifer Newton

Prince Harry's most savage royal attacks in Spare - Queen's concern and Kate's 'barrier'

Prince Harry took no prisoners in his highly-anticipated memoir Spare, taking aim at pretty much every member of the royal family in a raft of savage attacks.

His brother, Prince William, and stepmother Queen Camilla took the brunt of the accusations across the book's 416 pages - but King Charles and Princess Kate also came in for a kicking.

He also said the Queen's disapproval of his first love and long-term ex Chelsy Davy was part of the reason the relationship broke down.

However Harry also uses the book to express his love for his family, especially his father and brother, and said he believes "100%" that they can be reunited - but only if they can "take accountability". In his interview with ITV's Tom Bradby to promote the book, he says he "wants his father and brother back."

Here, we look through some of Harry's most critical comments about his family.

(Getty Images)

Camilla's leaks to the press

When it comes to his stepmother Camilla, Harry alleges that she leaked stories to the press about William.

He talks about how he and William begged their father King Charles not to marry the now Queen Consort and how she also gave "pinpoint accurate details" on her first meeting with Harry's brother.

Insinuating Camilla leaked the information to journalists, Harry writes: "None [of the details] had come from Willy, of course. They could only have been leaked by the one other person present."

Queen's role in split from Chelsy

Many royal watchers were convinced Harry would end up with Chelsy Davy, but in the book Harry reveals his late grandmother played a part in their split, which left him heartbroken.

Chelsy was Prince Harry's first serious girlfriend, after the pair met while attending the Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.

The couple were in an on-off relationship between 2004 and 2011, during which time Chelsy met the Queen and was Harry's plus one at William and Kate's wedding.

But it seems the late Monarch wasn't a fan of Chelsy's free-spirited lifestyle, and ultimately this led to their separation.

Page Six reports in Harry's memoir Spare that Chelsy made him "really happy" but it wasn't enough for the relationship to last.

"I couldn't help what my grandmother thought about it. Or the people. And the last thing I wanted was for Chels to change to please them," he wrote.

Chelsy has also spoken out about the immense pressure of being in the public eye.

"It was so full-on: crazy and scary and uncomfortable," she told the Times. "I found it very difficult when it was bad. I couldn't cope. I was young, I was trying to be a normal kid and it was horrible."

'Tipsy' William 'stank of booze' hours before marrying Kate

Harry accused his brother of hitting the rum the night before his wedding to Kate, claiming he was "tipsy" when he carried out a spontaneous walkabout in London.

Royal fans camped out on The Mall to get the best views of the the royal wedding procession, and William wanted to go and say hello - despite warnings from their security team. Harry writes: "Willy, already tipsy from the rum, shouted: 'Let's go down and see them!'."

But Harry writes it was "impossible not to hear the echo" of the scenes that followed Diana's death in August 1997.

Harry wrote of how the pair were "physically and emotionally exhausted", and it seemed that his brother had not rested before he went to pick him up the next morning.

Harry was by his big brother's side as he married Kate Middleton (AFP via Getty Images)
Harry claims William hit the rum the night before the wedding (Getty Images)

"I was stunned when I went to pick him up in the morning and saw his haggard face and red eyes; It seemed that he had not slept at all," Harry wrote.

When Harry asked if he was okay he said yes, but the Duke of Sussex writes that he didn't believe that to be true.

Harry claims that when the car began to move he told his brother he "smelled like alcohol", writing it was probably the "aftermath of the rum from the night before".

He described how he opened the window a little, covered his nose and offered William mints "by way of mockery".

Charles's cruel jokes

In the book, Harry claims his father made a series of cruel jokes at his expense. He claims that his dad is fond of anecdotes, and that one of his stories included a visit to a mental asylum where he met a man claiming to be the Prince of Wales - a role that the King had at the time of the visit. According to Prince Harry's book, Charles wagged his finger at the patient and said he was the only Prince of Wales.

Harry adds that his dad had a tendency for ending his stories with a "philosophical flash" and in this instance Charles mused about whether anyone could be sure they were not the mentally ill one themselves, "living in a fantasy".

Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles leave the Lindo Wing in September 1984 with baby Harry (Getty Images Europe)
Harry claims the King made jokes about whether he was actually his father (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Harry then claims that Charles joked: "Who knows if I'm even your real father? Perhaps your father really is in Broadmoor, my dear son!"

The Prince writes in the memoir that the joke was "in poor taste" given the rumour going around at the time that his real father was James Hewitt, reports the Daily Mail.

Princess Diana had a five-year affair with Mr Hewitt when he was a Household Cavalry officer. It happened after Harry was born.

Elsewhere in the book, he claims Charles joked about him being the "spare" moments after he was born.

He wrote how the now King told his mother Princess Diana on the day of his birth: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare. My work is done.”

First meeting with Camilla was 'like injection'

Harry refers to Camilla as the Other Women in sections of the book, and says he feared her being a "wicked stepmother', reports the Independent.

He compares meeting their first meeting to getting an injection, writing: “Close your eyes and you won’t even feel it.”

Harry also accuses Camilla of "campaigning" for the Crown after their relationship was made public.

However during Harry's interview with ITV's Tom Bradby, he claims he doesn't say anything "scathing" about Camilla. He said: "There’s no part of any of the things that I’ve said [in the book] that are scathing towards any member of my family, especially not my stepmother."

Charles didn't hug him after Diana's death

Some of the most emotional pages in the book come when Harry describes the moment he learned of his mother Princess Diana's death.

He recalls being woken by his father Charles while at Balmoral, who delivered the tragic news that Diana had died following a car crash in Paris.

Harry was just 12 when he walked behind his mother's coffin (PA)

Harry goes into detail about how he didn't shed a tear and reveals "Pa didn't hug me".

He explains that his dad wasn't great at showing emotions - but follows up by saying he placed a hand on his knee and told him "It's going to be OK".

Bald digs at William

In the opening pages of the book, Harry reveals talks he held with William and Charles when he came to the UK for Prince Philip's funeral.

He talks about how he took in the image of his brother as they prepared to chat and describes his "advancing baldness, more advance than my own".

Harry also makes a dig at how his brother had aged - and no longer resembled their mother Diana

He adds: "His famous resemblance to Mummy, which was fading with time."

William and Harry's physical altercation

One of the most eye-popping claims in Spare by Harry is that a physical confrontation took place between him and older brother William at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace in 2019.

The book says William had called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive” – comments which the younger brother said parroted “the press narrative” about his wife.

Harry says insults were exchanged before he told William his claims that he was trying to help were incredulous.

The Duke of Sussex then alleges: “(William) 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."

Harry writes that William urged him to hit back but he refused. Shortly afterwards though, the elder brother apologised.

William and Kate 'approved of Harry's Nazi uniform

When talking about his early 20s, Harry recalls the infamous Nazi uniform costume he wore to a fancy dress party in 2005.

Pictures of Harry wearing the outfit emerged in public - leading to widespread criticism but in his memoir, he claims William and Kate approved of him wearing it.

He says he called them to ask for their advice on whether he should wear it and adds they both "howled" when he told them about it.

  • Prince Harry's book, Spare, is on sale now.
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