King Charles "Didn't Hug" Prince Harry When He Told Him About Diana's Death, But He Was "Fatherly" and "Kind"
More revelations from 'Spare.'
![King Charles III](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5vZrCw77UJxAhZGXAiS6hJ-415-80.jpg)
Prince Harry's memoir Spare will be released on Jan. 10, but many of its biggest bombshells appear to have been leaked ahead of time.
For example, in his memoir, the Duke of Sussex apparently tells the story of losing his virginity, trying cocaine, and his brother William physically attacking him.
But there are many more revelations to come. Us Weekly, which obtained a copy of the book ahead of its release, printed excerpts from the moment King Charles told Prince Harry his mother Princess Diana had been in a fatal accident.
"[Charles] sat down on the edge of the bed," Harry writes.
"He put a hand on my knee. Darling boy, Mummy’s been in a car crash. I remember thinking: Crash … OK. But she’s all right? Yes? I vividly remember that thought flashing through my mind. And I remember waiting patiently for Pa to confirm that indeed Mummy was all right. And I remember him not doing that."
Describing the type of comfort he received from his dad after receiving the awful news, Harry continues, "Pa didn’t hug me. He wasn’t great at showing emotions under normal circumstances, how could he be expected to show them in such a crisis? But his hand did fall once more on my knee and he said: 'It’s going to be OK.' That was quite a lot for him. Fatherly, hopeful, kind. And so very untrue."
When 12-year-old Harry realized that his mom wasn't coming back, he recalls, "I began silently pleading with Pa, or God, or both: No, no, no."
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Elsewhere in the book, the Duke of Sussex explains some of the ways he attempted to deal with his mother's death, including the time he decided to recreate the scene by driving through the same tunnel in Paris at the speed Diana, her boyfriend, and her driver were traveling at.
"Off we went, weaving through traffic, cruising past the Ritz, where Mummy had her last meal, with her boyfriend, that August night," Harry recalls.
"Then we came to the mouth of the tunnel. We zipped ahead, went over the lip at the tunnel’s entrance, the bump that supposedly sent Mummy’s Mercedes veering off course. But the lip was nothing. We barely felt it."
Prince Harry has previously been open about the influence Princess Diana continues to have on his life and his family. Speaking in a video address in July 2022, the duke said, "I see my mum’s legacy when I look at my own children every day."
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle share son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford Medal in Mother-Daughter Olympic Matching
The pair touched down in Paris wearing coordinating navy looks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Here's the Most 'Wicked' Twist on Olympics Opening Ceremony Style
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande heard "Paris" but not "Olympics."
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle "Fears" Being "Heckled" If She Returns to U.K.
"The last thing she needs is the stress of going back."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry on Why He Won't Bring Meghan Markle Back to the U.K.: "It's Still Dangerous"
He fears for his family's safety.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Apparently Made a Joint Decision Regarding Prince Harry As They Are “Very Consciously Focusing on Positivity and Recovery”
Though Kate’s health is improving, in her own words, she’s “not out of the woods.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are “Drowning Out the Outside Noise” Surrounding Harry’s ESPY Award Backlash
The Sussexes are “very used to the criticism, given everything that’s gone on over the last few years.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Sits Down for Documentary to Speak About His Mission to Continue His Fight Against the U.K.'s Tabloid Press
Harry is expected to discuss the phone hacking scandal he was involved in alongside other celebrities like Hugh Grant in ‘Tabloids on Trial,’ out later this month on ITV.
By Rachel Burchfield Published