Prince Harry has claimed King Charles made jokes about his “real” father.
In an excerpt from his upcoming memoir Spare, published by Page Six, the Duke of Sussex addressed rumours that his real dad was Princess Diana’s former lover Major James Hewitt.
He claimed his father Charles made “unfunny jokes” about the rumours, and allegedly said to him: “Who knows if I’m really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father?”
Harry 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.
Princess Diana married Charles in 1981, and the couple welcomed their first child together, Prince William, on June 21, 1982.
They welcomed their second child together, Prince Harry, on September 15, 1984.
Diana and Charles formally separated in 1992.
In 1986, Diana began a relationship with Major James Hewitt – the family’s former riding instructor.
In the same year, Charles resumed his relationship with his former girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles – who he married in 2005.
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, who she was dating at the time, was also killed in the crash.
Harry’s bombshell memoir, titled Spare, is set to be released on January 10.
Promoting the release of his bombshell book, the 38-year-old recently filmed two TV interviews, which will both air on January 8.
