Princes Harry and William refer to each other as ‘Willy’ and ‘Harold’, it was revealed today as a copy Duke of Sussex‘s memoirs were leaked.
The revelation was made in an extraordinary passage from Harry’s upcoming autobiography Spare in which he recalled the moment he suffered a physical attack by his sibling.
It comes days after royal insiders said Harry’s book is so cutting of his brother that the pair may not be able to reconcile their differences following its release.
The furious row allegedly broke out at his London home in 2019, during which William, the now Prince of Wales, is said to have branded Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’.
Britain’s Prince William and Britain’s Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022
In an extraordinary excerpt from his upcoming autobiography Spare, Harry recalls what he describes as a physical attack by his sibling, now the Prince of Wales, which he claims left him with visible injuries
Harry accused his brother of ‘parroting the press narrative’ about his wife before a screaming match ensued, ending in a physical altercation.
The extract has been published by the Guardian. It is not known how the newspaper obtained an early copy of the book, given that the publisher has gone to great lengths to prevent leaks.
In one dramatic excerpt, Harry writes that William ‘grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and… knocked me to the floor’. The Duke of Sussex claims he was left with a visible injury to his back.
The brothers, according to Harry, had met at Nottingham Cottage to discuss ‘the whole rolling catastrophe’ of their relationship and struggles with the press.
When they began arguing about Meghan, Harry claims William was not being rational, leading to a shouting match.
The Duke of Sussex claims he gave his brother a glass of water and told him: ‘Willy, I can’t speak to you when you’re like this.’
He writes: ‘He 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.’
It was then that William told his brother to hit him back, a reference to scraps they had as children, Harry writes.
Prince Harry has claimed his brother William grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the floor during a heated argument over his wife Meghan Markle
When he and his brother began arguing about Meghan, Harry claims William was not being rational, leading to a shouting match (Pictured: Harry and Meghan in their latest Netflix documentary)
The Duke said he refused to retaliate and that William left, before returning ‘looking regretful’ and apologising.
When the future king left for the final time, Harry claims he ‘turned and called back: ”You don’t need to tell Meg about this.”’
Harry says he responded with: ‘You mean that you attacked me?’
He says William added: ‘I didn’t attack you, Harold.’
According to Harry, he did not initially tell Meghan of the fight but phoned his therapist.
The brothers, according to Harry, had met to discuss ‘the whole rolling catastrophe’ of their relationship and struggles with the press when a screaming match ensued (Pictured: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry leave the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service held at St Paul’s Cathedral on December 14, 2017)
Spare is currently on sale for $22.40 on Amazon US and £14 on the UK site. The book has already become the No.2 on Amazon’s best-seller list in pre-sales in the US (pictured) and the UK
He writes that he informed Meghan of the altercation only when she noticed ‘scrapes and bruises’ on his back, adding that she ‘wasn’t that surprised, and wasn’t all that angry’, but that she was ‘terribly sad.’
The dramatic extract revealed just days before the book’s official release is likely to see a surge in sales.
It comes as Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir is already No2 on Amazon’s best-seller list in pre-sales in North America and the UK.
Spare is currently on sale for $22.40 on Amazon in the US and half price at £14 on the UK site.
The hardback of Spare will be in UK bookshops when they open on Tuesday morning, with the e-book edition available to download on Kindle from shortly after midnight on the same day.
