Prince Harry: Who is he and why did he write his book about the Royal Family?

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday.Image source, Getty Images
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In 2021 the brothers attended a special event to unveil a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday

The Royal Family is in the news after a book written by Prince Harry speaking about his life and childhood was released.

The book - called Spare - sees Harry set out his version of events when it comes to his life in the Royal Family.

Prince Harry is still part of the Royal Family - Harry is still a prince, he is currently fifth in the line of succession for the throne, and holds the title of the Duke of Sussex.

But since he and his wife Meghan Markle, also known as the Duchess of Sussex, made the decision to leave life in the Royal Family, they have spoken out about many things they aren't happy about.

One of the major themes in the book is Harry's relationship with his brother. He talks about falling out with Prince William, who he says pushed him over during a physical fight.

Harry also writes about his feelings towards his stepmother Camila, the Queen consort, his father King Charles, and the late Queen, who was his grandmother.

Keep reading to find out more about Prince Harry and what led to him writing his book.

Who is Prince Harry?

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Prince Harry is a member of the British Royal Family. He is the younger son of King Charles III and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Harry has the title the Duke of Sussex.

His older brother is Prince William, formerly known as the Duke of Cambridge, now the Prince of Wales.

The father of both boys is King Charles, who as the Queen's eldest child automatically became the King when his mother died in September last year.

His mum Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident in 1997 when Harry and William were both children.

This is something that had a huge effect on Harry's life and he has spoken about often, in both his book and TV series.

Why is Prince Harry's book called Spare?

In the Royal family the first born child of the King is known as the heir - meaning that they are next in line to the throne and will become King or Queen some day.

Because Prince William is older than Prince Harry, this means William is the heir.

In his book, Harry describes how his father, King Charles, described him as the "spare" son.

The title Spare likely refers to how he felt being in his brother's shadow as the future King got the most attention.

Why did Harry and Meghan step down as working Royals?

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Harry and Meghan went on a tour of South Africa, months before they stepped back from royal duties

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as she was then known, got married on 19 May 2018 it was a time of great celebration.

The couple were popular with the public, and had several successful Royal tours abroad including one in Australia.

But towards the end of 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan started to speak publicly about some of the struggles they were facing by being under the media spotlight.

Soon after this in January 2020 the pair announced the news that they had decided to step back as senior royals.

At the time they said they wanted to "work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen".

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The Duke and Duchess gave an interview with US chat show host Oprah revealing problems they had with other members of the Royal Family

But many royal experts said that their decision and how they told everyone the news had caused "a major rift between Harry and Meghan on one part, and the rest of the Royal Family on the other".

Since then Harry and Meghan have shared a lot more information about why they wanted to step down, including claims that they felt unsupported in their roles.

They have also claimed that palace staff, who they thought would protect them, instead spread false and negative stories about them to the media in order to protect more senior members of the Royal family, including Harry's brother William.

Why has Prince Harry written his book Spare?

Since stepping down from Royal duties Harry and Meghan have often spoken of wanting to tell "their story", something which they said they hadn't been able to do before.

But after already giving a high profile interview on US and UK TV with chat show host Oprah and their recent Netflix series, many people say they have now already had many opportunities to tell their story.

Some critics say the reason for the book is for Harry to make money through sharing secrets in a way that Royals would never normally do.

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

In the UK the book will cost £28 for a hardback, and £20 for the audio version.

Have Prince Harry and William been fighting?

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Harry (left) on his first day at school with his big brother William (right)

Throughout their life, Harry and William have often been seen together laughing, joking and having a close bond.

But in the past few years there have been reports that the relationship between Harry and his brother William had become difficult.

It had been thought that the relationship soured when Harry announced he was stepping back from royal duties, but claims in the book suggest difficulties between the brothers started much earlier than this.

In the book Harry says that his brother was critical of his marriage to Meghan Markle - and that William described her as "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive" - which means someone who shows little concern for the feelings of others.

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Harry and his brother William have worked together for various charities

Prince Harry has now claimed that his brother physically attacked him in 2019, after William arrived at Harry's house and complained about Meghan.

Harry writes: "He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor."

Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have both said they will not comment.

It seems the relationship between the two brothers is complicated with Harry referring to William as both his "beloved" big brother and his "arch-nemesis" - meaning someone who is an enemy.

When will we next see Harry and William together?

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It was claimed that Prince William invited Harry and Meghan to come with him and his wife Catherine to meet crowds after the Queen's death, as a show of unity

Since Harry moved to the US in 2020 the pair have rarely been spotted together in public, and were last reunited publicly at their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September.

It is not known when they will next see each other, after Harry saying he isn't yet sure if he will attend the upcoming coronation of his father, King Charles, in May.

Harry describes a confrontation involving him and his brother after the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, where his father asked them both to make peace.

Harry claims that Charles stood between him and William and told them: "Please, boys... don't make my final years a misery."

What else has Harry spoken about in his book?

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Harry has spoken of his feelings towards his and William's stepmother Queen Consort Camilla, and how both brothers joined together in pleading with their father not to marry her.

He has also spoken of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla wanting to divert attention away from Prince William and Kate.

Harry claims that in 2015 there was tension between William and their father who, Harry claims, was growing increasingly annoyed at the attention the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were getting.

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The prince said quitting the Army had been a "really tough decision"

The Prince has also spoken of his time fighting in Afghanistan, as part of the British army.

Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, and served two tours in Afghanistan, the first in 2007-2008 as a forward air controller, and later in 2012-2013 as an attack helicopter pilot.

In one of the most controversial parts of the book, Harry talks about killing enemy soldiers. He has since been criticised for choosing to publish the number of people he killed during the fighting.

Buckingham Palace has so far declined to comment on any of the claims made in the book.