Harry appeared on Britain’s ITV network to promote his book, “Spare,” which has sparked outrage with its revelations of private emotional turmoil and bitter family resentments.
London: Prince Harry has defended his decision to publish a memoir that exposes schisms within the British royal family, claiming it is an attempt to “own my story” after 38 years of “spin and distortion” by others.
Harry appeared on Britain’s ITV network to promote his book, “Spare,” which has sparked outrage with its revelations of private emotional turmoil and bitter family resentments.
In the interview, which aired on Sunday, Harry accused members of the royal family of “going into bed with the devil” in order to gain favourable tabloid coverage, claimed his stepmother Camilla, the queen consort, had leaked private conversations to the media, and claimed his family was “complicit” in his wife Meghan’s “pain and suffering.” He also reiterated the royal family’s “concern” about his unborn child’s skin colour after marrying biracial American actress Meghan Markle, and said the British monarchy should address its attitudes toward race.
In 2021, Harry and Meghan first mentioned the incident in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. They have not identified the concerned family member.
The incident, according to Harry, was the result of unconscious bias rather than racism, and the royal family needed to “learn and grow” in order to be “part of the solution rather than part of the problem.” “Otherwise, unconscious bias enters the category of racism,” Harry explained. “Especially when you are the monarchy – you have a responsibility, and quite rightly people hold you to a higher standard than others,” he said. A recent incident in which a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II asked a Black British woman where she was “really” from was “a very good example of the environment within the institution,” he said.
“Spare” delves into Harry’s grief over his mother’s death in 1997, as well as his long-simmering resentment at the role of royal “spare,” overshadowed by the “heir” — older brother Prince William. He describes his arguments and physical altercation with William, how he lost his virginity (in a field), and his use of cocaine and cannabis.
In addition, he claims to have killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, a claim that has been disputed by both the Taliban and British military veterans.
Harry told ITV that he only cried once after his mother died, at her funeral. He expressed regret for not expressing emotion when he and William greeted mourners outside Kensington Palace, Diana’s London home.
Harry blames his family’s stiff-upper-lip ethos in the book, saying he “learned too well… the family maxim that crying is not an option.” The Associated Press purchased a Spanish-language copy of the book ahead of its worldwide release on Tuesday.
“There were 50,000 flower bouquets to our mother, and there we were shaking people’s hands and smiling,” Harry told ITV journalist Tom Bradby. “I’ve seen the videos, I’ve gone over everything. And the wet hands that made us shake; we didn’t know why their hands were wet, but it was all the tears that they were wiping away.
“Everyone thought and felt like they knew our mother, and the two people closest to her, the two people she loved the most, were unable to show any emotion in that moment.” “Spare” is the latest in a series of public statements made by Harry and Meghan since they left the royal family and relocated to California in 2020, citing what they saw as the media’s racism toward Meghan and a lack of support from the palace. It comes after Winfrey’s interview and a six-part Netflix documentary that was released last month.
Harry, 38, describes the couple’s acrimonious split from the royal family in early 2020 in the ghostwritten memoir, after their request for a part-time royal role was denied.
Harry compares the removal of the couple’s taxpayer-funded security to the removal of his uncle, Prince Andrew, as a working royal over his friendship with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew settled a lawsuit from a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 and travelling with financier Epstein. As part of the settlement, Andrew paid an undisclosed sum but did not admit wrongdoing.
Despite the “shameful scandal,” Harry claims that no one considered removing Andrew’s security. The ITV interview is one of several given by Harry that are expected to put additional strain on the royal family. He’s also on “60 Minutes,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Royal officials have not commented on any of the allegations, but allies have reacted to them anonymously.
Jonathan Dimbleby, a biographer and friend of King Charles III, said Saturday that Harry’s revelations were the kind “you’d expect… from a sort of B-list celebrity,” and that the king would be pained and frustrated by them.
According to ITV, Harry wishes to reconcile with the royal family, but “the ball is in their court.” “They have shown no willingness to reconcile,” he said.
