Summary

  • Prince Harry has made a string of damning accusations against his family in a new memoir called Spare

  • He also speaks candidly about suffering panic attacks due to the stress of royal life and how he turned to drugs to cope

  • In one of the most dramatic claims, he says his brother, Prince William, physically attacked him in a row over his wife Meghan

  • Harry says he saw a "red mist" in William on that day in an ITV interview to promote the book

  • Also in the memoir is his description of killing Taliban fighters while serving in Afghanistan and losing his virginity

  • The book officially goes on sale in the UK and the US next week but BBC News has obtained a copy in Spain where it has gone on sale by mistake

  • Spare is Harry's account and Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have both said they will not comment

  1. How are the UK papers covering Harry's claims?published at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Front pages of the Times and the Guardian

    Prince Harry's revelations in his tell-all memoir have dominated headlines since they first emerged yesterday, and most of the UK's national newspapers lead with his claims this morning.

    The Times reports that Harry's "explosive" book could "make permanent the rift between Prince Harry and the rest of the Royal Family".

    The i says the UK monarchy is facing "its worst crisis for 30 years", while The Daily Telegraph calls the claims "devastating".

    Referring to Harry's book title, Spare, the Daily Mail's lead says: "Oh spare us!". The paper says the world is "stunned" following the prince's "excruciating attacks on family".

    The Sun says they've "rocked the Royal Family" and "plunged Buckingham Palace into crisis mode", although Palace officials are yet to comment publicly on any of the claims.

    Read the BBC's paper review in full here.

  2. Where is Prince Harry now?published at 10:02 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Sign reading Montecito Village, where Harry, Meghan and their children liveImage source, Getty Images

    While many consider the UK royal family the bastion of Britishness, it's been a few years since Prince Harry has lived in Britain.

    When Harry stepped down from royal duties, he and Meghan relocated permanently to the US state of California.

    Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet have lived in the small and affluent town of Montecito since 2020.

    Onlookers caught the first glimpse of the family's multi-million dollar mansion in the recently released Netflix series, Harry & Meghan.

  3. How much did Harry get paid for his book?published at 09:55 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Prince Harry writingImage source, Getty Images

    As the key revelations from Spare come to light, attention has turned to how much Prince Harry has made from the book.

    While no figure has been officially confirmed, publisher Penguin Random House is rumoured to have paid the royal a $20m (£17m) advance for Spare.

    When the book hits the UK market, it will cost £28 for a hardback, and £20 for the audio version.

    But not all of the profits from the book will go directly to the prince.

    In a statement, Penguin Random House said some of the proceeds from the book will go to charity.

    This includes $1,500,000 (£1.26m) to Sentebale, an organisation which supports vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS.

    Charity WellChild, which allows young people with complex health needs to be cared for at home, will also receive £300,000.

  4. William and Catherine 'laughed at Harry's Nazi costume', book claimspublished at 09:46 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Addressing another controversial moment from his youth, Harry describes his decision to wear a Nazi costume for Halloween in 2005.

    The memoir claims William and Catherine laughed when Harry returned home dressed in the outfit before the fancy dress party.

    Harry says he was debating costumes for the event and called on the pair to ask their opinions, he had a pilot's uniform and a Nazi outfit to choose from. He details it in his memoir:

    "I called Will and Kate and asked them what they thought."

    "Nazi uniform, they said. I rented it, along with a ridiculous moustache, and returned home.

    "Willy and Kate were laughing. It was even worst that Willy's leopard [cat] costume. Much more ridiculous."

    Harry was 20 when the Sun published a front page photo of him dressed in the uniform at a costume party with a "Native and Colonial" theme.

  5. Harry recalls losing his virginity in a field behind a pubpublished at 09:37 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    In the book, Prince Harry also reveals how he lost his virginity to an older woman.

    He claims the "humiliating episode" took place in a field behind a pub and that the woman, who "really liked horses", treated him like a "young stallion".

    "One of my many mistakes was letting it happen in a field, just behind a very busy pub. No doubt someone had seen us," Harry writes.

    The book tells of how Marko, one of the Royal Family's bodyguards, visited him when he was a pupil at Eton College and told the Prince he had been sent to "find out the truth".

    The bodyguard was actually checking up on the duke because Charles' press office had been told a newspaper had evidence of him taking drugs - which Harry said was "all lies".

  6. Using cocaine at 17 and smoking cannabis at Etonpublished at 09:27 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Prince Harry on his last day at Eton CollegeImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Prince Harry on his last day at Eton College

    Prince Harry has used his memoir to open up about his drug use. He says he was offered a line of cocaine at someone's house when he was 17 and admits taking the drug on several other occasions, although he did not enjoy it.

    He writes: "It wasn't much fun and it did not make me feel especially happy as it seemed to do to everyone else, but it did make me feel different, and that was my main objective.

    "I was a 17-year-old boy ready to try anything that altered the pre-established order."

    He also recounts smoking cannabis in a bathroom at Eton College while a pupil, as the Thames Valley Police officers serving as his bodyguards patrolled the exterior of the building.

    In a sit-down interview with ITV News, airing on Sunday, Harry was probed about his drug revelations which he said were "important to acknowledge".

  7. What do you think about Harry's revelations?published at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Banner saying Get in touchImage source, .

    As the revelations from Harry's memoir pour in, we want to hear your views. What's your reaction to his claims about his family? Has the book changed your mind on the royals?

    You can contact us in the following ways:

    In some cases, a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.

  8. Harry says he learned of Queen's death on BBC websitepublished at 09:14 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Sean Coughlan
    BBC News, royal correspondent

    Prince Harry says he first found out about the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth from the BBC website.

    With the late Queen’s health worsening, he says he had a call from his father.

    But while he made plans to get to Balmoral he says he was told not to bring Meghan.

    This might clarify some confusion on the day of the Queen’s death, when it was first thought that Meghan was travelling with Harry, but it later emerged that she wasn’t.

    Prince William’s wife, Catherine, also didn’t go to Balmoral, the Scottish estate where the Queen had spent the summer.

    News of the Queen’s death reached Prince Harry as he arrived by plane, not from his family, but on the news on his phone.

    He writes: “When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: 'Call me when you get this.'

    “I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King.”

  9. Diana wanted Harry to be a wingman not a hitman - Mortonpublished at 09:06 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Diana, Princess of WalesImage source, PA Media

    Royal biographer Andrew Morton tells the BBC that the current friction between William and Harry isn't the future their mother Diana planned.

    He says the revelations in Harry's book are damaging, saying Diana always wanted Harry to be a "backup" to William.

    "She wanted Harry to be William's wingman, not as we've seen his hitman and I think that is a real conundrum for the Royal Family going forward."

  10. Harry says he and William urged Charles not to marry Camillapublished at 08:51 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Charles, Camilla and HarryImage source, Getty Images

    Another detail from the book is Harry's admission that he and William begged their father not to marry Camilla, now Queen Consort, over fears she would be their wicked stepmother.

    Harry writes that he and his brother had separate meetings with Camilla before she officially joined the family.

    He alleges that he pondered whether she would one day be his "wicked stepmother", but that he and his brother were willing to forgive her in "their hearts" if she could make King Charles happy.

    There is no detail given on when the meeting took place or how old Harry was at the time.

  11. Royal author: Harry has turned into human hand grenadepublished at 08:42 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    We're hearing more reaction to Prince Harry's book now.

    Royal author Tina Brown, who wrote The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, said it could be years before the Duke of Sussex reconciles with his family.

    "I think that this has been a very painful passage. Harry has turned into human hand grenade," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

    "It's rained down on the House of Windsor just at the beginning of his father's reign, so painful. Here's Charles trying to establish himself as the new King, and now, you know, Harry's thrown this hand grenade and it's all coming kind of crashing around him."

    The Royal Family are in a dilemma now because their 'never complain, never explain' motto is becoming more difficult to maintain, she said.

    "It's always a disaster when they do try to go on television and explain. So somehow they have to keep calm and carry on as they always have - but they can't really create a counter narrative to what Harry's doing because they don't really have the tools to do it," she added.

  12. Watch: 'I saw this red mist in William'published at 08:29 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    A new trailer has been released for ITV's interview with Prince Harry, which will be aired on Sunday.

    In it, he talks about the alleged physical altercation with Prince William detailed in his memoir, saying he saw a "red mist" in his brother.

    William has not commented.

    Watch the clip below.

    Media caption,

    Prince Harry: Revelations about drug taking and clash with Prince William

  13. Harry says William 'knocked him to the floor'published at 08:25 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Princes William and HarryImage source, Getty Images

    A key revelation from Prince Harry's book is the state of his relationship with his brother, Prince William, and the strain it's come under in recent years.

    He writes that the pair had a physical altercation in 2019, in which his brother grabbed his collar, ripped his necklace and knocked him to the floor at his London home.

    According to Harry, the scuffle was sparked by comments made by William about Meghan. Harry writes that his brother was critical of Meghan with William describing her as "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive".

    The Duke of Sussex said that his brother was "parrot[ing] the press narrative" as the confrontation escalated.

  14. Will palace silence hold?published at 08:19 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Sean Coughlan
    BBC News, royal correspondent

    So far Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have declined to comment on Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir.

    It was their tactic too during the coverage of the Harry and Meghan Netflix series, avoiding getting dragged into the mud-slinging and hoping that the controversy would burn itself out.

    That probably worked for them. But there is a difference in that this book is far more wide-ranging and harder-hitting. After Prince Harry’s claim about being attacked by his brother, how easy will it be for them to appear together, perhaps in a few months at the coronation of their father? If their dispute remains unresolved or unchallenged, would speculation about their relationship overshadow the celebrations?

    It’s a difficult balancing act for the palace officials. Don’t respond and the only version in front of the public is Harry’s. And if they do respond it could lead to difficult denials and counter-claims about very personal matters.

    Much might also depend on the public response. Will Prince Harry’s book annoy people as appearing to be washing a family’s dirty linen in public? Or will they see him as airing legitimate grievances, which so far have not been denied. As ever, Harry and Meghan are likely to divide opinion.

  15. Harry may have worsened security threats - retired commanderpublished at 08:01 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Colonel Richard Kemp
    Image caption,

    Colonel Richard Kemp was the Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan in 2006

    There's more from Colonel Kemp now, who says Prince Harry's decision to write about his time in Afghanistan could worsen any security threats against him.

    "He himself is under threat already for his own security and I think by resurrecting [the number of people he killed while serving in the Army] now potentially undermines that," Kemp tells BBC Breakfast.

    He says Harry's decision to publish the number of people he killed - 25 - does little other than put his own security at risk.

    Kemp praises Harry as a "brave" man who fought for his country, but says this part of the book reminds people that 10 years ago, "there was a very, very high profile man killing people" in Afghanistan who might be "provoked to take revenge".

    On whether these claims put the wider Army, still serving, at risk, Kemp says he doesn't believe this is the case.

  16. Harry's reputation is 'tarnished', says Col Kemppublished at 07:56 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Prince Harry in AfghanistanImage source, PA Media

    Colonel Richard Kemp goes on to say that some of Prince Harry's revelations reflect badly on him.

    He says he doesn't think Harry revealing how many Afghans he'd killed was in itself wrong but he added:

    "In some ways he's almost turned on the British people and accused them of all sorts of things that don't suit him and I think that that will not sit very well with many veterans and many serving soldiers as well.

    "But I would say on balance, his reputation is perhaps tarnished, but not completely destroyed by these sort of comments."

  17. Army commander: Harry's chess piece claim 'error of judgement'published at 07:51 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    We're hearing from Colonel Richard Kemp now, who's a retired British Army officer.

    Asked by BBC Breakfast what he thinks about Prince Harry's claim in his book that the 25 people he killed in Afghanistan were "bad people... eliminated before they could kill good people", Kemp says he agrees to some extent.

    They were bad people, Kemp says, but he takes issue with Harry's claim that the enemy - members of the Taliban - should be seen as chess pieces by soldiers.

    "I think that sort of comment, which doesn't reflect reality, is misleading and potentially valuable for those people who wish the British forces harm... so I think it was an error of judgement," he says.

  18. Harry says he killed 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistanpublished at 07:48 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    One of the areas Prince Harry covers in his memoir is his time serving as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan in 2012-13.

    Harry says he participated in six missions, all of which involved deaths, but saw them as justifiable.

    "It wasn't a statistic that filled me with pride but nor did it leave me ashamed," he writes. "When I found myself plunged in the heat and confusion of combat I didn't think of those 25 as people. They were chess pieces removed from the board, Bad people eliminated before they could kill good people."

    Prince Harry in Afghanistan in 2012Image source, PA Media
  19. Royal biographer says Harry will face huge backlashpublished at 07:30 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    Andrew Morton

    Thirty years ago, writer Andrew Morton collaborated with Harry's mother Diana, on the book Diana: Her True Story.

    He's been speaking to the BBC about Prince Harry's memoir and the furore it has caused.

    "This is a once in a decade opportunity to read about the inside workings of the Royal Family.

    "When Diana: Her True Story was first out, there were members of Parliament suggesting I'd be sent to the Tower of London.

    "I don't think anybody's going to suggest that with Prince Harry but he's going to get a huge backlash."

  20. Key revelations from the book (so far)published at 07:28 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2023

    The front cover of the Spanish version of the bookImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The Spanish version of Spare, titled En la sombra ("In the shadow"), was released earlier than expected, causing a media frenzy

    With Prince Harry's book due to be released next Tuesday (10 January), some people may be wondering how so much of its content is already known.

    As well as certain chapters being leaked, copies of the book went on sale early in Spain yesterday, where it is titled En la sombra (In The Shadow) instead of Spare.

    In terms of some of the biggest revelations we know so far, Harry writes in the tell-all book:

    • His brother, Prince William, attacked him in a disagreement over his relationship with Meghan Markle
    • He took drugs when he was younger, including cocaine, marijuana and magic mushrooms
    • He killed 25 people while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan
    • A psychic told him that his mother, the late Princess Diana, approved of his new life in the US
    • He and his brother asked their father, King Charles III, not to marry his second wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort
    • He wants reconciliation with his family, but only once they take accountability for the fallout between him and them

    Stay tuned as we learn more.