The book’s title is an apparent reference to Harry being a royal “spare”, not first in line to the throne. William, Prince of Wales, is next in line to his father, King Charles III.
According to The Guardian, the book describes “intensely private scenes and conversations” covering everything from Harry’s early childhood to his marriage to former actress Meghan Markle. This includes details about Harry’s relationship with his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997, his father and his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Kensington Palace, which represents William, and Buckingham Palace, which represents Charles, declined to comment on the allegations made in the book.
The published excerpts focus on the alleged attack on Harry and Meghan’s former London home of Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2019.
Harry reportedly says in the book that William had complained about Meghan, calling her “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”
The confrontation then escalated with the brothers yelling at and insulting each other, the book recounts according to the media. Harry reportedly says that he was afraid of his brother, who was furious and followed him around the house. Harry writes that William then grabbed him by the neck and ripped him open before throwing him to the ground, the published excerpts say.
“I landed in the dog bowl, which split under my back, the pieces cut me. I just stood there for a moment, stunned,” Harry writes in published excerpts from the book. Harry reportedly told his sister to get off him, which he did after initially urging Harry to hit him back, according to news outlets.
William later returned and apologized, the media reports, although the excerpt says he suggested Harry not tell Meghan about the alleged altercation.
“’You mean you attacked me?’ Harry writes that he responded, according to the media. “’I didn’t attack you, Harold,’” she says William reportedly called her back.
Harry writes that he initially only spoke to a therapist about the alleged incident, according to published excerpts. But when Meghan noticed “scratches and bruises” on her back, he told her what had happened, the Guardian book quotes.
