LONDON – Prince Harry has accused the royal family of complicity in his wife Meghan’s agony, claiming his stepmother Camilla, the queen consort, did it leaked private conversations into the media to improve their own reputation.
In interviews that aired on Sunday, Harry accused members of the royal family of “having sex with the devil” in order to gain positive tabloid coverage and highlighted Camilla’s efforts to improve her image with the British people following her long-running affair with his Father, today’s King Charles, to rehabilitate III.
“That made her dangerous because of the connections she forged within the British press,” he told CBS. “There was an open willingness on both sides to exchange information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to the queen consort, people or corpses would be left in the street.
Harry spoke to Britain’s ITV and CBS’s 60 Minutes for promotion his book, “Spare” to be released on Tuesday. It has already generated inflammatory headlines with its details of bitter family resentments.
He reiterated his claim to ITV that there was “concern” in the royal family about the color of his unborn child’s skin after he married multiracial American actress Meghan Markle. Harry and Meghan first mentioned the incident during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, but they have not identified the family member who raised the concern
Harry insisted the family wasn’t racist but said the episode was an example of unconscious bias, adding that the royal family needs to “learn and grow” to be “part of the solution and not part of the problem”. being.
“Otherwise, unconscious bias moves into the category of racism,” Harry said. He said that “especially when you are the monarchy – you have a responsibility, and people rightly hold you to a higher standard than others.”
“Spare” explores Harry’s grief over the death of his mother in 1997 and his long-simmering resentment over the role of royal “Spare” being overshadowed by the “heir” – older brother Prince William. He recounts altercations and a physical altercation with William, reveals how he lost his virginity, and details cocaine and cannabis use.
He also says He killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan – a claim that has drawn criticism from both the Taliban and British military veterans.
“Spare” is the latest in a series of public statements by Harry and Meghan since they gave up royal life and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as racist treatment of Meghan by the media and a lack of support from the palace. It follows the Winfrey interview and a six-part Netflix documentary released last month.
In the ghostwriter memoir, Harry, 38, details the couple’s acrimonious separation from the royal family after their bid for a part-time royal role was turned down.
The TV interviews are just two of several Harry has given to put more pressure on the royal family. He also appears on Good Morning America and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Royal officials have not commented on any of the allegations, although allies have largely anonymously denied the claims.
Harry has defended the memoir, describing it as his efforts to “own my story” after years of “twisting and distorting” it by others. In the 60 Minutes interview, Harry denied that his book was not intended to harm his family.
Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, a book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said Harry offers the behind-the-scenes look the public has always wanted.
“Obviously that has some downsides for those who were part of his journey,” Scobie told the BBC. “We’ve heard some really chilling confessions and stories about members of the royal family, particularly when it comes to Camilla and her relationship with the press.”
While Harry was saying that he had not spoken to his father or brother in a while he hopes to find peace with them. Harry told ITV that he would like a reconciliation with the royal family but “the ball is theirs”.
“They have shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile,” he said.
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Jill Lawless contributed to this report.
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