Prior to the release of his biography “Spare” on Tuesday, Prince Harry has expanded upon his accusations against the inner workings of the British royal family, setting the stage for an explosive week for the estranged family as they navigate his highly publicised claims.
The Duke of Sussex discussed his mother’s passing, the treatment of his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the ensuing conflict with his family in two interviews with British and American networks ITV and CBS. He also expressed his contempt for the British press.
Prince Harry claimed in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday that Camilla, Queen Consort, had leaked information about the family to the British press as part of her effort to “rehabilitate her image.” In her marriage to the then-Prince Charles, Diana famously referred to Camilla as the third party.
When questioned about the likelihood of a reconciliation, he replied that he hadn’t spoken with his brother Prince William and his father King Charles III in “a while” and that the “ball is very much in their court.”
Harry also mentioned that it had been “a long time” since he had spoken to his stepmother in a subsequent interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” broadcast on Monday.
We get along just well when I visit her because “I adore every member of my family, despite the differences,” he stated. My stepmother is she. She is not to me a wicked stepmother. I see someone who married into this society and has worked extremely hard to boost her own image and reputation for her own benefit.
Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir, the subject of leaks revealing some of his most contentious assertions, has been the subject of several requests for comment from Buckingham Palace. Although AWN has asked the publisher Penguin Random House for an advance copy, she has not yet read the book.
In the interviews, Prince Harry shared his viewpoint on life in the royal family and continued to fight back against what he regards to as “the institution” just hours before the publication of his memoir on Tuesday at midnight London time (7 p.m. ET).
Princess Camilla and Prince Harry
Prince Harry revealed to AWN’s Anderson Cooper that he and his brother, Prince William, had both asked the King not to wed Camilla. Prince William is a regular correspondent on CBS’ 60 Minutes.
“We didn’t believe it was essential. We reasoned that since he was already with his person, that must be sufficient and that it would do more harm than good.
However, he claimed that the brothers eventually agreed: “We wanted him to be happy. And we could see how content he was with her.
The Duke of Sussex went on to say that Camilla was “dangerous” because the media had painted her as a “villain” for her part in the dissolution of his parents’ marriage and that she needed to “rehabilitate her image.”
“Due to the ties she was establishing within the British press, it made her dangerous. Additionally, there was a genuine desire to exchange information on all sides. There would be individuals or bodies left on the street as a result of her ascending the family’s hierarchy and becoming Queen Consort, Prince Harry remarked.
Harry allegedly wrote in his memoir about being “sacrificed” on Camilla’s “personal P.R. altar,” which was mentioned in the CBS interview.
The duke explained: “If you are led to believe, as a member of the family, that being on the front page, having positive headlines, positive stories written about you, is going to improve your reputation or increase the chances that you will be accepted as monarch by the British public, then that’s what you’re going to do.
Eight years after the passing of Prince Charles’ first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla wed him in 2005. For years, the two had enjoyed a love relationship that came and went. Diana reportedly infamously referred to Camilla as the third person in their marriage.
Relationships between Prince Harry and the British media and the Palace
The Duke of Sussex referred to the British press as a “antagonist” that sought to “create as much tension as possible” in the interview and in portions from his biography that ITV shared.
The saddest aspect of that, he continued, “is that some members of my family and those who work for them are complicit in that war.”
He claimed that “the palace is specifically briefing the press, but hiding their tracks by being unidentified,” and that “a royal source” was being “leaked” and “planted” to the media.
Prince Harry continued, “That’s fairly upsetting to people, I believe.” Some of the most heinous, horrible things have been said about me and my wife, completely condoned by the palace because it is coming from the palace, and those journalists have literally been spoon-fed that narrative without ever coming to us, without ever seeing or questioning the other side. This is especially true when you realise how many palace sources, palace insiders, senior palace officials, and how many quotes are being attributed to those people.
In an interview with CBS’ Cooper, Prince Harry confirmed these comments and added that, even as a young boy of 12, he felt hatred toward the British media.
We could see as children how the British press contributed to our mother’s suffering, and I had a lot of resentment that, fortunately, I never let out to anyone, he added. “However, I turned to binge drinking. Because I wanted to block out the emotion or get my mind off of whatever I was thinking. And I would use drugs as well, you know.”
