Prince Harry says William knocked him to floor in row over Meghan – Guardian

Row over UK prince’s next book – GuardianHarry won’t commit to attending father’s coronation Royal siblings have fallen out in recent years Harry’s book ‘Spare’ to be published next week

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry says in his long-awaited memoir that older brother and heir to the throne Prince William knocked him to the floor during a 2019 argument about Harry’s American wife Meghan, reported on Wednesday the Guardian newspaper.

The row between the brothers, the sons of King Charles, is detailed in Harry’s book “Spare”, which will be published on January 10, the Guardian said, stating that it had obtained a leaked copy despite tight security.

The report came as ITV released a video of an upcoming interview with Harry ahead of the book’s publication, in which he said he could not commit to attending his father’s coronation in May.

According to the Guardian’s account, the 2019 sibling fight at Harry’s London home was sparked after William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”, which Harry said it sounded like a “press confession” about his wife.

“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping off my necklace and knocked me to the floor,” Harry wrote, according to the newspaper.

“I sat in the dog bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment dazed, then stood up and told him to get out.”

William then challenged his younger brother to fight back, but Harry refused. William later returned to the scene, “remorseful and apologetic,” Harry wrote, according to the extract, with his brother urging him not to tell Meghan that he had “assaulted” her.

Spokesmen for King Charles and Prince William declined to comment on the Guardian’s report.

William and Harry were once seen as very close following the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in 1997. But the brothers have fallen out since Harry married Meghan, a former actress, in in 2018 and then the couple resigned. on royal duties to move to California two years later.

Since their departure, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as the couple are officially known, have issued scathing criticism of the Windsors and the British monarchy, which has included accusations of racism which William himself has denied.

Last month, their six-part Netflix documentary, which attracted record audiences, aired with fresh allegations, including that William had shouted at Harry during a crisis summit to discuss his future.

The main criticism from Harry and Meghan is that royal aides not only refused to respond to hostile and inaccurate press coverage, but were complicit in disseminating negative stories to protect other royals, particularly William.

“I don’t know how staying silent is ever going to make things better,” Harry said in Thursday’s ITV clip.

Asked why he was invading his family’s privacy, something he had objected to, he replied: “That will be accusations from people who don’t understand or don’t want to believe that my family has tipped off the press. “

HEIR AND AN EXCHANGE

The title of his book “Spare” comes from a quote often mentioned in British aristocratic circles about the need for an heir and a spare. According to extracts from the Guardian, King Charles apparently said on the day Harry was born to Diana: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a backup – my work is done.”

The book also features “intensely private scenes and conversations”, the Guardian reported, such as describing his memories and love for his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997, and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who died in passed away at the age of 96.

Harry has given two broadcast interviews ahead of the book’s publication, which will be shown on Sunday, with videos showing he will hit back at complaints that Buckingham Palace has failed to protect him and his wife.

“They feel like it’s better to keep us, sort of, as villains,” Harry said in a trailer released by ITV.

How much the revelations will resonate with the public is unclear. A YouGov poll this week found that 65% of respondents were “not at all interested” in his upcoming book, while another found more sympathy among respondents for William and his wife Kate than for Harry and Meghan .

Charles himself still hopes for a reconciliation with his son, unnamed sources told the papers this week.

In its leaked extracts, the Guardian says the king had stood between his two sons during an awkward meeting at Windsor Castle after the April 2021 funeral for their grandfather Prince Philip, the late queen’s husband.

“Please guys,” Harry quoted his father as saying. “Don’t make my last years a misery.”

Editing by Angus MacSwan and Nick Macfie

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.