January 6, 2023
Parts of Prince Harry's upcoming book 'Spare' have been leaked ahead of its release and what we know so far is jaw dropping!
William attacked Harry
In 2019 the brothers were involved in an altercation resulting in William throwing Harry to the ground. The two had been at odds ever since his marriage to Markle, who the Prince of Wales believed was "rude" and "abrasive." The tension had reached a boiling point and Harry recounts how his brother "grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace", and then "knocked me to the floor", sustaining injuries in the fall.
William and Kate encouraged Harry to wear a Nazi costume
In 2005 a scandal erupted around the 20 year-old prince wearing a Nazi costume to a Halloween party complete with the swastika on his sleeve. Harry divulged that it was actually William and Kate that suggested he wear the uniform after consulting them for ideas. According to Page Six, the memoir reads "I phoned Willy and Kate, and asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said. They both howled. Worse than Willy's leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point,".
Harry Killed 25 Taliban Fighters in Afghanistan
Harry served two tours in Afghanistan while during his 10 year tenure in the British Army. In 2007 he was a first forward air controller in Afghanistan for a year and then flew a military helicopter from 2012-2013. He recalled having to kill 25 people while deployed in Afghanistan, a number that did not give him pride but neither evoked shame, writing in the book "When I found myself plunged in the heat and confusion of combat I didn’t think of those 25 as people...They were chess pieces removed from the board. Bad people eliminated before they could kill Good people."
Harry and his Brother Tried to Discourage Charles from Marrying Camilla
The love triangle between Charles, Diana and Camilla has been deeply documented over the years and still remains a point of discontentment with the public, particularly with Camilla becoming Queen Consort of the United Kingdom. While Charles was already in love with Camilla, he went on to marry Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and have two children. However, the pair still remained in close contact throughout the' marriage with Camilla even showing up to events where Diana was present. With the subsequent divorce of the royal couple (and death of Princess Diana in 1997), Charles was free to marry the love of his life, a decision that his sons did not agree with. Harry recalled how begged his father not to marry Camilla, for fear of having a "wicked stepmother". The couple ended up tying the knot in 2005.
Harry Did Cocaine at Age 17
According to Sky News, Harry admitted to trying to cocaine at age 17 at a party but found "it wasn't much fun", and also smoked weed while boarding at Eton College. The Telegraph also reported that the prince took mushrooms while on a trip to California in 2016.
Harry sharing his side of the story is reminiscent of the same path taken by his mother Princess Diana. During her time married to then Prince Charles she openly spoke about the struggles she faced being a part of the Royal Family. In 1992 Andrew Morton released Diane's bestselling book 'Diane: Her True Story' (it was later revealed that she was a contributor) detailing her private life as a royal. But she didn't stop there. In 1995, she appeared on the BBC documentary series 'Panorama' where she sat down with Martin Bashir for what is considered one of the most famous television interviews in history. The parallels between the mother and son facing the unending barrage of negative press and paparazzi cannot be ignored.
BBC
Last year Harry and his wife Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview . The couple's documentary, 'Harry & Meghan', was released on Netflix last year detailing their relationship, their lives as working royals and the racism they experienced as an interracial couple in the Royal Family.
Netflix
In an interview with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Harry also talked about how ignorant he was about the negative treatment Megan would have to endure by the press and related her experience to both Kate and Camilla with the added element of racism, "I went into this incredibly naïve. I had no idea the British press was so bigoted, hell I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan...I didn't see what I now see."
The much anticipated autobiography has a release date of January 10, 2023 by Penguin Random House. The Duke of Sussex will also be on the Colbert Late Show on the same day to discuss his new book.
Cover Image: Spare, Penguin Random House
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