IN PICS | Royals ‘brush off’ Harry’s claims in first public appearances

Last Thursday King Charles and Prince William made their first public appearances since the release of the book

18 January 2023 - 16:13 By Reuters and Khanyisile Ngcobo
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Copies of Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' on sale in a bookshop in Richmond, London, on January 10. The book is already No 1 in the Amazon bestseller charts and one of the biggest pre-order titles for high-street retailers.
Copies of Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' on sale in a bookshop in Richmond, London, on January 10. The book is already No 1 in the Amazon bestseller charts and one of the biggest pre-order titles for high-street retailers.
Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Members of the royal family appear to be brushing off damning allegations made by Prince Harry in his tell-all memoir and TV interviews promoting the book as they were pictured at their first public appearances since its release.

In his book Spare, Harry divulges he begged his father not to marry his second wife Camilla, now queen consort. The book also delivered numerous other revelations, including that elder brother and heir to the throne William had knocked him over during a heated argument.

Harry also used promotional interviews to double down on his claims that some royals, including Camilla and William, and their aides had leaked damaging stories to tabloid papers about him or his American wife Meghan to protect themselves or enhance their reputations.

Last Thursday King Charles and Prince William made their first public appearances since the release of the book.

Charles chatted with well-wishers but made no comment about the furore when he arrived for a visit to the Aboyne Community Shed in a village in Scotland to meet representatives involved with local support groups.

The low-key trip, the monarch's first public event of the year, was in stark contrast to the recent high-profile coverage of his son's book, which came a month after the release of a six-part Netflix documentary series about him and Meghan.

Also on Thursday, a smiling and happy-looking William and his wife Catherine, who Harry also criticises in his book, made their first appearances since the memoir's release, at a hospital in northern England. They too made no public reference to the saga.

The princess of Wales was pictured on Tuesday at her first solo engagement of the year, looking relaxed and happy during a visit to Foxcubs Nursery in Luton.

Catherine spent time playing with the children and spoke to educators “about the formative nature of the early years”, according to People

So far, neither Buckingham Palace nor aides for the royals have commented on Harry's disclosures. 

Spare, which comes hot on the heels of the successful Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, broke several records since its release last Tuesday, including a Guinness world record.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.