Allies of Britain鈥檚 royal family pushed back Saturday against claims made by Prince Harry in which paints the monarchy as a cold and callous institution that failed to nurture or support him.
Buckingham Palace hasn鈥檛 officially commented on the book. But British newspapers and websites brimmed with quotes from unnamed 鈥渞oyal insiders,鈥� rebutting Harry鈥檚 accusations. One said his public attacks on the royal family took a 鈥渢oll鈥� 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鈥檚 revelations were the type 鈥渢hat you鈥檇 expect 鈥� from a sort of B-list celebrity,鈥� and that the king would be pained and frustrated by them.
鈥淗is concern 鈥� is to act as head of state for a nation which we all know is in pretty troubled condition,鈥� Dimbleby told the BBC. 鈥淚 think he will think this gets in the way.鈥�
Harry鈥檚 book, 鈥淪pare,鈥� is the latest in a string of very public pronouncements by the prince and his wife Meghan since they and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as the media鈥檚 racist treatment of Meghan, who is biracial, and a lack of support from the palace. It follows an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a released last month.
Harry is not the first British royal to air family secrets 鈥� both his parents used the media as their marriage fell apart. Charles cooperated on Dimbleby鈥檚 1994 book and accompanying television documentary, which revealed that the then heir to the throne had had an affair during his marriage to Princess Diana.
Diana gave her side of the story in a BBC interview the following year, famously saying 鈥渢here were three of us in this marriage鈥� in reference to Charles鈥� relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
But 鈥淪pare鈥� goes into far more detail about private conversations and personal grievances than any previous royal revelation.
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In the ghostwritten memoir, Harry discusses his grief at the death of his mother in 1997 and his long-simmering resentment at the role of royal 鈥渟pare,鈥� overshadowed by the 鈥渉eir鈥� 鈥� older brother Prince William. He recounts arguments and a physical altercation with William, reveals how he lost his virginity (in a field) and describes using cocaine and cannabis.
He also says he while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan 鈥� a claim criticized by both the Taliban and British military veterans.
鈥淪pare鈥� is due to be published around the world on Tuesday. The Associated Press obtained an early Spanish-language copy.
Harry has said he expects counterattacks from the palace. He has long complained of 鈥渓eaks鈥� and 鈥減lants鈥� of stories to the media by members of the royal household.
In an interview due to be broadcast on ITV on Sunday 鈥� one of several he has recorded to promote the book 鈥� Harry says people who accuse him of invading his family鈥檚 privacy 鈥渄on鈥檛 understand or don鈥檛 want to believe that my family have been briefing the press.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how staying silent is ever going to make things better,鈥� he said.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
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