Prince Harry is expected to continue his criticism of the U.K. royal family during upcoming broadcast interviews promoting his new memoir, "Spare," which has already generated explosive headlines even before its official release.
A pre-recorded interview with ITV in the U.K. is set to air on Sunday evening, followed by a conversation on CBS's "60 Minutes." Harry will also make appearances on "Good Morning America" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
In excerpts released ahead of time, Harry shares a deeply personal moment with ITV journalist Tom Bradby. He reveals that he only cried once following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997—at her burial. He expresses guilt for not showing more emotion when he and his brother, Prince William, greeted mourners outside Diana's home, Kensington Palace.
In "Spare," Harry attributes his emotional restraint to the royal family's "stiff-upper-lip" ethos, stating he had "learned too well ... the family maxim that crying is not an option."
Harry reflected, "There were 50,000 bouquets of flowers for our mother, and there we were, shaking people’s hands, smiling." He said he later watched footage of that moment, recalling how wet the hands of the mourners were as they wiped away their tears. "Everyone thought and felt like they knew our mum, and the two closest people to her, the two most loved people by her, were unable to show any emotion in that moment," Harry said.
"Spare" is the latest chapter in a series of public statements from Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, since they stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California in 2020. The couple cited Meghan’s experiences with racist media treatment and a lack of support from the palace as reasons for their decision. This book follows their highly publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey and a six-part Netflix documentary released last month.
The Associated Press acquired an advance copy of the book in Spanish, ahead of its global release on Tuesday.
In the memoir, the 38-year-old prince outlines the couple’s difficult departure from the royal family in 2020, after their proposal for a part-time royal role was rejected. Harry also contrasts the withdrawal of their taxpayer-funded security with the case of his uncle, Prince Andrew, who lost his status as a working royal due to his connections with U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew faced legal action in 2021 from a woman who accused him of sexual assault during a trip with Epstein when she was 17. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, but Andrew did not admit to any wrongdoing.
Harry claims that, despite the "shameful scandal," no one considered removing Andrew’s security.
The book also delves into Harry’s grief over his mother’s death and his long-standing resentment about being the royal “spare,” overshadowed by his older brother, William, the “heir.” Harry recalls arguments with William, including a physical altercation, and details of his teenage years, such as losing his virginity (in a field) and experimenting with drugs like cocaine and cannabis.
In one particularly controversial passage, Harry claims to have killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. This statement has faced backlash from both the Taliban and British military veterans.
While royal officials have not commented on the allegations, some of Harry’s critics have anonymously challenged the claims.
Jonathan Dimbleby, a veteran British journalist and friend of King Charles III, weighed in on Saturday, expressing that Harry’s revelations were more fitting for a “B-list celebrity” than a member of the royal family. He suggested that King Charles would be "pained and frustrated" by the contents of the book.
