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."
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.
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.
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 InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. 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.
-
I Work Out 5 Days a Week—These Are the Brands I Wear on Repeat
Sponsor Content Created With Nordstrom
By Emma Walsh Published
-
Princess Kate Will Be "Ready to Talk" About Her Absence When She Gets Back to Work, Source Claims
The Palace has released very few details about her illness and recovery.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Princess Kate Was Allegedly Spotted Looking "Happy, Relaxed and Healthy" at a Farm Shop This Weekend
Anonymous onlookers provided this description to 'The Sun.'
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Despite Being 5,000 Miles Apart, Prince William and Prince Harry Still Couldn’t Bear to Attend an Event at the Same Time—Even One That Honored Their Mother Princess Diana
Their separate appearances at the Diana Awards were carefully timed so that William, onsite in London, had zero opportunity to interact with Harry, calling in from California.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have a "Golden Opportunity" to Reconcile With the Royals Amid Wales Drama, Publicist Says
They're sadly used to dealing with negative press.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were Still Working Royals, They’d Basically Be Leading the Show Right Now
“They desperately need him, and nobody could have foreseen the set of circumstances that would expose that so dramatically.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Made the Effort to See Older Brother Prince William While in the U.K. Last Month, But William Apparently Wasn’t Interested
“It isn’t normal. It’s terribly sad.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Wants "Nothing to Do" With Prince Harry Amid Surgery Recovery, Expert Claims
:(
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have One Year Left on Their Netflix Contract and Are Showing Signs “They’re Not Overly Confident That It Will Last”
The couple brokered a five-year, $100 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Is “Putting Pressure” on Meghan Markle to Accompany Him to an Event in the U.K., and It’s Causing Tension In Their Marriage, Royal Expert Claims
Meghan has reportedly said in the past that she “never wants to set foot again in England.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were to Ever Return as Working Royals, They’d Have to Get Prince William’s Blessing First, Former Royal Butler Says
King Charles seems to be on board with a Sussex return, but William? That’ll be a harder sell.
By Rachel Burchfield Published