Prince Harry’s explosive memoir, titled Spare, is set for official release on January 10.
It comes nearly a month after the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all eight-part docuseries Harry & Meghan.
Take a look at the biggest bombshells from the 557-page-long book so far:
Harry claims brother Prince William physically attacked him
Harry claims William called his wife Meghan Markle “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.
The Duke of Sussex describes his older brother’s comments as a “parrot[ing] of the press narrative”.
Claiming that William then physically attacked him, the 38-year-old writes: “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.”
The Duke of Sussex said the alleged incident, which is said to have occurred at Nottingham Cottage, left him with a visible back injury.
Harry claims that William was “piping hot” during their exchange, and insults were thrown around between the pair before the Duke of Cambridge said he only wanted to help his younger brother.
The Duke of Sussex recalls his response to William as: “Are you serious? Help me? Sorry — is that what you call this? Helping me?”
The 38-year-old claims that this is the comment which angered his brother, who allegedly began swearing and advancing towards him, which led Harry to tell him: “Willy, I can’t speak to you when you’re like this.”
Harry claims William and Kate Middleton encouraged him to wear Nazi costume
Harry claims William and his wife Kate Middleton encouraged him to wear a Nazi costume.
In 2005, the then-20-year-old Harry attended a fancy dress party dressed as a Nazi soldier – which he now describes as one of the “biggest mistakes” of his life.
The Duke of Sussex claims he asked William and Kate whether he should wear a pilot’s uniform or a Nazi uniform.
They allegedly chose the latter and thought it was hilarious.
“I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. ‘Nazi uniform’, they said,” Harry writes.
The Duke added that he went home and tried it on for them, writing: “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”
Harry claims father King Charles III pleaded with his sons not to make his “final years a misery”
Harry recalls a meeting between himself, Charles and William which allegedly took place after Prince Phillip’s funeral back in April 2021.
The Duke of Sussex claims the 73-year-old warned his sons not to make his “final years a misery”.
The 38-year-old recalls Charles standing between himself and William and “looking up at our flushed faces”.
Allegedly quoting his father, Harry: “‘Please boys, don’t make my final years a misery.’”
Harry feared Camilla Parker Bowles would become his “wicked stepmother”
Harry recalls fearing Camilla would become his “wicked stepmother” and claims he and William begged Charles not to marry her.
The 38-year-old alleges he and his brother knew Camilla as the “other woman” and had separate meetings with her before she officially joined the Royal Family.
Harry compared seeing his stepmother-to-be for the first time as avoiding pain when getting an injection, writing: “This is nothing. Close your eyes and you won’t even feel it.”
Harry recalls during his meeting with Camilla that she appeared “bored”, and referred to it as a “pure formality” as he was not the heir to the throne.
The Duke of Sussex claims he and William were willing to forgive the 75-year-old in “their hearts” if she would make their father happy, but begged him not to wed for a second time.
The 38-year-old writes: “We could recognise the absent glances, the empty sighs, the frustration always visible on his face.”
Harry claims Charles made cruel jibes about his paternity
Harry claims his father Charles made “unfunny jokes” about the rumours that his real dad was Princess Diana’s former lover Major James Hewitt.
The 38-year-old alleges his father said to him: “Who knows if I’m really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father?”
The Duke of Sussex writes: “Pa liked telling stories, and this was one of the best in his repertoire. He’d always end with a burst of philosophizing… Who knows if I’m really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father?”
“He’d laugh and laugh, though it was a remarkably unfunny joke, given the rumour circulating just then that my actual father was one of Mummy’s former lovers: Major James Hewitt.”
“One cause of this rumour was Major Hewitt’s flaming ginger hair, but another cause was sadism.”
“Never mind that my mother didn’t meet Major Hewitt until long after I was born,” the 38-year-old added.
Harry claims Charles branded him a “spare” the day he was born
Harry claims Charles branded him a “spare” on the day he was born, and joked to his then-wife Princess Diana that his “work” was done.
Allegedly quoting his father, the Duke of Sussex writes: “‘Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare — my work is done.'”
The 38-year-old’s memoir is titled Spare, seemingly referring to the alleged incident.
The one-word title carries significance, as “the heir and the spare” has long been a common term to describe the monarch and their sibling.
Being the younger brother of Prince William, who is next in line to the throne, Harry has become accustomed to the “spare” title since he was born.
“Spares” within the Royal family are thrust into the spotlight from birth, but unlike their eldest sibling, they have no defined role.
And as time goes on, and their older sibling has their own children, their importance seems to lessen alongside their place in the line of succession.
Harry brands William his “arch-nemesis”
Harry brands William as his “arch-nemesis” in the memoir, which was quoted by Good Morning America anchor Michael Strahan.
“There’s a quote in the book where you refer to your brother as your ‘beloved brother and arch-nemesis,’” the journalist tells the Duke of Sussex. “Strong words. What did you mean by that?”
“There has always been this competition between us, weirdly,” Harry said. “I think it really plays into — or is played by — the ‘heir, spare.’”
Harry claims William was “gone” after marrying Kate
Harry recalls saying “goodbye” to his relationship with William after he married Kate back in 2011.
“The brother I’d escorted into Westminster Abbey that morning was gone — forever. Who could deny it?” the 38-year-old writes.
“He’d never again be first a foremost Willy. We’d never again ride together across the Lesotho countryside with capes blowing behind us. We’d never again share a horsey-smelling cottage while learning to fly. Who shall separate us? Life, that’s who.”
The Duke of Sussex says he found the wedding to be “yet another farewell under this horrid roof” and “another sundering.”
Harry recalls finding out about his mother Princess Diana’s death
Harry’s beloved mum Princess Diana tragically died in a car crash in 1997, when he was just 12 years old.
Recalling the moment he found out about her death, he writes: “Pa didn’t hug me. He wasn’t great at showing emotions under normal circumstances, how could he be expected to show them in such a crisis?”
“His hand did fall once more on my knee and he said, ‘It’s going to be OK.’ That was quite a lot for him. Fatherly, hopeful, kind. And so very untrue.”
“[Dad] sat down on the edge of the bed. He put a hand on my knee. ‘Darling boy, Mummy’s been in a car crash.'”
“I remember thinking: Crash… OK. But she’s all right? Yes,” Harry writes. “I vividly remember that thought flashing through my mind. And I remember waiting patiently for Pa to confirm that indeed Mummy was all right. And I remember him not doing that.”
The Duke of Sussex recalls feeling a “shift internally” when he knew bad news was coming, and “silently” pleading with bot “Pa and God” for more hopeful news.
Harry claims he found himself convinced that his mother had “staged an accident” to escape the limelight.
Harry claims William warned him not to propose to Meghan
Harry claims William warned him not to propose to Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex alleges that William shot down the idea that Harry and Markle would “become a foursome” with him and Kate because she was “an American actress after all.”
Harry recalls telling William he felt like Diana helped him “find” Meghan, which didn’t sit right with the Prince of Wales who became “concerned” and “took a step back” telling Harry he was “taking things a bit too far”.
Harry claims William didn’t want him to marry Meghan at Westminster Abbey – where he and Kate had tied the knot in 2011.
He allegedly also didn’t want the couple to choose St. Paul’s where Diana and Charles had wed in 1981, because it was “too grand” for their wedding.
Harry alleges his wedding to Meghan put a further strain on his relationship with William.
Harry claims Charles told him there wasn’t “enough money” for Meghan
Harry claims Charles told him the Royal Family didn’t have “enough money” to financially support Meghan.
“Pa didn’t financially support Willy and me, and our families, out of any largesse,” Harry writes. “That was his job. That was the whole deal.”
The Duke of Sussex claims his older brother “agreed to serve the monarch” in exchange to be taken care of.
