Even before the publication of Prince Harry’s memoirs “Spare”, the explosive content is making a name for itself. The duke shares a particularly terrible memory about his father Charles III. Apparently he publicly questioned his paternity with loveless words.
London – Prince Harry (38) uses his upcoming memoirs to talk about his mother Princess Diana’s (36, † 1997) affair with Major James Hewitt (64). Especially an anecdote from his father King Charles III. (74) struck the Duke of Sussex in the heart. When the first rumors surfaced that Harry could also be the son of the red-haired Captain, his father made an unbelievable remark.
King Charles’ loveless joke at Harry’s expense still makes one shiver to this day
In Spare, Harry’s memoir, accidentally pre-published in Spain, the Duke of Sussex reports that Charles “likes to tell anecdotes” and “one of his best” is a story about a visit been in a psychiatric clinic. One patient apparently mistook himself for the Prince of Wales, leading Charles to make a tacky joke about Harry: “Who knows if I’m even your real father?”
According to the Duke, there was a brief exchange of blows between Charles and the inmate at Broadmoor Hospital in Crowthorne: “I am the Prince of Wales,” his father would have said, to which the man “replied with the same gesture”. Then the current British king would have joked: “Who knows if I’m even your real father? Perhaps your father really is at Broadmoor, my dear son!’ Harry writes in his memoirs that he found that distasteful.
Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” controversial even before it went on sale
On January 10, 2023, Prince Harry’s memoirs “Spare” will be published by Random House – but these prove to be controversial even before publication. Although the work is described as an honest look back at Harry’s life and experiences, many royals pundits believe it could also be a harsh critique of British royalty. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022) on September 8, 2022 and a related wave of public skepticism about the British monarchy, this could have devastating consequences. “The British Royal Family (…) must earn and keep the respect of the public,” explains Royals author Valentine Low, “If this is ever damaged in any fundamental or permanent way, it could be very serious.”
Harry’s alleged resemblance to Major Hewitt fueled paternity rumours
Certainly Charles was upset by Diana’s affair with James Hewitt, whose relationship with the young Household Cavalry officer made him appear like a cuckold. The Princess of Wales confirmed the five-year relationship with Hewitt from 1986 to 1991 in the now famous Panorama interview with BBC journalist Martin Bashir (59), who had made Diana talk by presenting forged documents.
Harry’s resemblance to the Army officer led to claims that he was a product of the Major’s affair, especially since his parents’ divorce didn’t come until 1996. In two interviews with the British broadcaster ITV and in the CBS program “60 Minutes” shortly before the release of his memoir, the ex-royal also fueled the debate about Harry’s royal past life in the Windsor family with intimate details. “Spare” will be available in bookstores on January 10th. Sources used: dailymail.co.uk, nytimes.com
