Harry's shock revelations
The top stories from the Duke of Sussex’s autobiography
It was meant to be top secret until Tuesday, but when Prince Harry’s book, Spare, went on sale early in Spain, ironically, for Kings’ Day, the cat was well and truly out of the bag and a barrage of new allegations emerged.
Here are some of the top stories:
Harry alleges Prince William had a physical fight with him in Nottingham Cottage in 2019, saying his brother grabbed him by the collar, ripped his necklace and knocked him to the floor.
Harry says William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”, which he says, mirrored the “press narrative”. He tells Tom Bradby more, in his interview on ITV today.
William and Harry begged Charles not to marry Camilla, Harry reveals. He also accuses her of leaking stories against William.
Charles refused to let Harry bring Meghan to Balmoral, when the Queen died, Harry alleges. He reportedly replied, “Don’t ever speak about my wife that way”.
The book officially goes on sale on Tuesday Harry discusses his time in Afghanistan and details he killed 25 people whilst serving. “It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me,” he writes.
Harry reveals he took cocaine and later, magic mushrooms, which made him think a bathroom bin was staring at him.
He also reveals he lost his virginity aged 17 to an older “horsey lady,” behind a busy pub.
Harry recalls aged 23, asking a driver to drive through the Parisian tunnel in which his mother died, twice, at exactly the same speed of 65 miles an hour. He wanted closure, but he says, “Instead it brought on the start of Pain, Part Deux.”
He says the Princess of Wales was offended after Meghan suggested she had “baby brain”. At a meeting after their honeymoon in 2018, Harry says Catherine stated, “You talked about my hormones. We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones”.
Happy birthday (of sorts) to Catherine
It’s probably fair to say the Princess of Wales will have had better birthdays as she celebrates her 41st tomorrow (Monday 9 January). Amid the barrage of headlines generated by her brother-in-law’s truth war on the Windsors, the stoic and stable Catherine will be marking her birthday privately.
Last year, to mark Catherine’s 40th, three photographs were released of a happy and serene Princess, snapped by Paolo Roversi (our favourite is pictured above). And, given that it’s become a family tradition, let’s hope the Princess of Wales releases a new birthday pic soon. In the meantime, we’re betting Harry’s memoir will definitely not be on her gift list.
The Other Duke of Hazard
While the headlines are full of Harry, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was the biggest literary scandal ever to hit the Royal Family. Not so, Kerry writes for The Sunday Telegraph this week. We’ve been here before, not least in the form of another Duke, the Duke of Windsor.
In 1951, the world was shocked by the publication of A King’s Story: The Memoirs of HRH the Duke of Windsor. Edward VIII, who abdicated the crown in 1936 in order to marry double-divorcee Wallis Simpson, told “his truth”, from his exiled home in France. “I was in unconscious rebellion against my position,” he wrote, as well as, “the idea that my birth and title should somehow set me apart from and above other people struck me as wrong.” Sound familiar?
Like Harry’s book, the Duke of Windsor’s memoir was released to a media storm. It was published a few months before his brother King George VI died and niece Elizabeth took the throne. Edward attended the funeral, but not the coronation, advised against it by Winston Churchill.
Five years later, Wallis Simpson brought out her tome, The Heart has its Reasons. And royal insiders tip it won’t be long before the Duchess of Sussex does the same.
Royal dates for the diary
Once the book business has died down, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2023:
April 23: Prince Louis turns five.
May 6: The biggest event on the calendar is, of course, the coronation. Taking place at Westminster Abbey, there will be a public holiday in the UK, on May 8.
May 19: It’s the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s five-year wedding anniversary.
July 22: Prince George also has a big birthday, turning 10.
November 14: King Charles faces another milestone, turning 75.
Regal treats for your feet
Finally, how cute are these slippers? This Christmas, a very generous friend (thanks Jo), made sure The Royal List’s Maria unwrapped these fabulous fluffy, faux fur faves by Laines London. Buy yours (they’re £49) here.