Prince Harry claimed in a new book that his brother William physically assaulted him, according to the Guardian. The outlet reported that the altercation came after an argument over Prince Harry’s wife Meghan.
The explosive recollection is from Harry’s autobiography “Spare” and detailed the Nov. 2019 brawl between the royal brothers that came near the end of their formerly close relationship.
The Duke of Sussex alleged that William angrily stormed into Nottingham Cottage fuming over Markle and difficulties with the media. The heir to the British throne reportedly called his sister-in-law “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive.”
Harry then retorted that William was only repeating the “press narrative” that the estranged royal couple has spoken extensively about.
He claimed his older brother was being “stubbornly irrational” and acting like an “heir.” Harry said William did not understand the trials of being only a “spare,” while William said he was only trying to help.
Prince William, Harry won't reconcile after 'Spare' comes out, source says https://t.co/u5CD9iiefw pic.twitter.com/4MgpuBCi99
— New York Post (@nypost) December 31, 2022
The Guardian reported that Harry then said: “Are you serious? Help me? Sorry — is that what you call this? Helping me?”
Even as William approached him furiously, the Duke of Sussex remembered that he tried to relax his brother by offering him a glass of water. The effort failed.
Harry wrote in “Spare” that William instead sat the water down, “called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast.”
The younger royal recalled that his brother grabbed him by the collar, broke his necklace, and then knocked him “to the floor.” He said he landed on the dog’s bowl which then broke, and the pieces cut into him. After a few dazed moments, he got back onto his feet and told William to leave.
Harry wrote that William then tried to antagonize him into hitting him back, much as they did when they were boys. Harry declined, and William left only to return later and apologize.
Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace said they will not respond to the report.
The presumably explosive book will be published Tuesday, and the Guardian said it received an advance copy under “stringent pre-launch security.” UK booksellers confirm that they are under a strict embargo to prevent copies from being distributed early.
