Prince Harry recalls assault by brother William in autobiography ‘Spare’

In his yet-to-be-released autobiography, Britain’s Prince Harry has given a detailed account of how his estranged elder sibling Prince William physically “assaulted” him during an altercation in 2019, the Guardian reported Wednesday.

Harry’s much-anticipated autobiography, Spare, is already hogging the limelight. It is all set to be released later this month amid a raging controversy within the British royal family.

In his book, Harry, 38, has recounted that William entered into a verbal duel with him by calling his wife Meghan Markle “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”. Harry shot back and accused his brother of “parroting the media narrative about his American wife”.

The argument soon turned into a physical fight, in which, Harry claimed, William knocked him down to the floor. “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,” the Guardian quoted Harry’s book as saying.

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Subsequently, Harry told his older brother to leave. William looked “regretful, and apologized,” Harry recalled, according to the newspaper.

The daily quoted the war of words between the two princes from the book: William “turned and called back: ‘You don’t need to tell Meg about this.’ ‘You mean that you attacked me?’ ‘I didn’t attack you, Harold,'” William responded, seeming to use a nickname for Harry.

Interestingly, the shocking disclosure about the brothers’ turbulent ties comes ahead of their father King Charles’ coronation in May following the demise of his mother Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 in September last year.

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Harry and Meghan, 41, unravelled their experiences in the British royal family in a Netflix docuseries last month, shedding light on the reasons behind their stunning 2020 departure for North America. They attributed much of their displeasure to racist media reports and tabloid harassment, some of which they claim the family instigated.

Their move to California, Meghan’s home state, has taken a toll on the couple’s popularity in Britain, where they are often portrayed by the media as selfish.

In excerpts from a television interview this week ahead of the book release, Harry said he wants “a family, not an institution.” “I would like to get my father back. I would like to get my brother back,” Harry said, apparently striking an emotional chord.