Prince Harry Claims King Charles Thanked Princess Diana for Giving Him a ‘Spare’ the Day He Was Born
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Diana Princess of Wales and Prince Charles with new born Prince Harry, leave St.Mary’s Hospital
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Prince Harry says that King Charles III declared him a “spare” on the day he was born.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, makes the claim in Spare, his memoir out Jan. 10, The Guardian reported Wednesday.
According to the outlet, the story is shared towards the start of the 416-page text.
“Early on, Harry recounts the story of how his father, now King Charles, supposedly said to his wife, Princess Diana, on the day of Harry’s birth: ‘Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done,’ ” The Guardian reported.
The U.K. outlet calls Harry’s “resentment of being the ‘spare’ ” a “unifying theme” of the text, which reportedly reflects on his childhood, service in the British Army, years as a working royal, and relationships with family members.
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles pose with their sons Princes Harry and William on board royal yacht Britannia during their visit to Venice, Italy
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Prince Harry was born on Sept. 15, 1984, the second son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and the younger brother of Prince William. Spare, the title of the Duke of Sussex’s upcoming memoir, is derived from the royal “heir and spare” adage, pointing to different destinies that have separated Harry and William since birth. Before the Prince of Wales, 40, welcomed three children with his wife Kate Middleton, his younger brother followed him in the line of succession to the British throne.
In another extract from The Guardian, Prince Harry claims he was physically attacked by his brother Prince William at his London home in 2019. When William arrived at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, Harry claims his older brother was already “piping hot,” according to the report.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales with their sons Prince William & Prince Harry in the wild flower meadow at Highgrove
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Harry claims William called Meghan Markle “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive,” to which Harry replied that his brother was simply “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his wife.
The Guardian reports that Harry then accused his brother of acting like an heir, and insults began to fly. William reportedly claimed he was just trying to help.
“Are you serious?” Harry said in reply, per the report. “Help me? Sorry – is that what you call this? Helping me?”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry and Prince William
After giving William a glass of water, Harry said: “Willy, I can’t speak to you when you’re like this.”
It was at this point that the argument escalated into a physical confrontation.
“He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast,” Harry writes in Spare, reports The Guardian.
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“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 adds that William urged him to fight back, just as he had as a boy. When he refused, he writes that William left, only to return later “looking regretful.” He then “apologized,” according to The Guardian.
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PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE The book jacket of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’
Later, when leaving, Prince William “turned and called back: ‘You don’t need to tell Meg about this,’ ” Prince Harry claims, to which he says he replied, “You mean that you attacked me?”
“I didn’t attack you, Harold,” William countered, according to Harry.
Afterward, Harry says he called his therapist for help. It was only when Meghan later noticed “scrapes and bruises” on his back that he says he revealed the incident to his wife.
“[She] wasn’t that surprised, and wasn’t all that angry,” Harry writes, per The Guardian. “She was terribly sad.”