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Prince Harry alleges William physically attacked him, new book seen by The Guardian claims

January 5, 2023

CNN
—

Prince Harry has accused his brother, William, of physically assaulting him during an argument over his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2019, according to The Guardian.

The British newspaper claims to have seen an advance copy of Prince Harry’s long-awaited memoir Spare, in which Harry, the Duke of Sussex, alleged that his brother William, the Prince of Wales, threw him to the ground during the altercation.

The alleged fight took place after a conversation between the two brothers, during which William, heir to the British throne, called Markle “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”, according to The Guardian.

The confrontation escalated until William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my collar open and… knocked me to the ground”, reported The Guardian.

CNN requested an advance copy of the book from publisher Penguin Random House, but received no response. Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the Sussexes declined CNN’s request for comment on the alleged altercation.

The Guardian article focuses on the alleged physical altercation between the brothers, but describes the entire book as a “remarkable volume”.

The article reports Harry’s version of events, in which William arrives at Harry and Meghan’s home, Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, to allegedly discuss “‘the whole ongoing disaster’ of their relationship and the struggles with the press”.

Harry alleges William attacked him after offering him water and trying to cool down a heated verbal exchange, according to The Guardian.

The article quotes Harry: “He put down the water, called me another name, then came to me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my collar, and knocked me to the ground. I landed on the dog bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I stood there for a moment, stunned, then I got up and told him to get out.

The article says that Harry states in the book that William urged him to fight back, but he refused to do so. William left but later returned ‘looking full of regret’ and apologised, according to the Guardian report, citing the book.

Spare is due out on January 10.

Since their wedding in 2018, Harry and Meghan’s relationship has come under intense media scrutiny, with particular focus on the Duchess of Sussex.

In a recent Netflix documentary, Harry blamed the media for putting undue stress on his Meghan, which led to her having a miscarriage and having suicidal thoughts.

The couple said the relentless media coverage eventually led to them quitting working as senior royals.

Harry admitted in the six-part documentary that he didn’t cope with Meghan’s deteriorating mental health “particularly well” at first.

“I knew she was struggling; we were both in trouble, but I never thought it would happen at this point. The fact that he got to this point made me feel angry and ashamed,” Harry recounted, adding: “I treated him like an institutional Harry as opposed to her husband Harry.

Meghan said she wanted to go somewhere for help but claimed she was not allowed due to concerns about the appearance of the institution, without specifying who she believed was stopped her. She made similar comments in her explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a qualified counselor or visit the NSPL website. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Friends all over the world also provide contact details for crisis centers around the world.