Prince Harry recounts how he was physically assaulted by his brother, Prince William in new book "Spare"

In his highly anticipated autobiography, “Spare” Prince Harry recounts what he says was a physical attack by his brother, William, now Prince of Wales, as their relationship fell apart over the younger prince’s marriage to the actor Meghan Markle.

Describing a confrontation at his London home in 2019, Harry says William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”, which Harry calls a “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his American wife.

The confrontation escalated, Harry writes, until William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”.

The extraordinary scene, which Harry says resulted in visible injury to his back, is one of many in his book “Spare” which will be published worldwide next week and is likely to spark a serious furore for the British royal family.

Harry writes that he gave his brother a glass of water and said: “Willy, I can’t speak to you when you’re like this.”

 

He writes: “William set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast.

He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.

I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”

Insults were exchanged, before William claimed he was trying to help.

 

Harry said: “Are you serious? Help me? Sorry – is that what you call this? Helping me?”

 

Harry writes that William urged him to hit back, citing fights they had as children. Harry says he refused to do so. William left, Harry says, then returned “looking regretful, and apologised”.

 

When William left again, his brother writes, he “turned and called back: ‘You don’t need to tell Meg about this.’

From The Guardian