Prince Harry Is In “Quite a Painful Place” Because of Comments about Princess Kate in ‘Spare,’ Royal Author Says

Harry is likely coming to grips with having “written stuff that can’t be retracted” in the bestselling memoir.

Prince Harry and Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry laid it all out on the table in his January 2023 memoir, Spare—including comments about the sister-in-law he was once so close to, the Princess of Wales (or Kate Middleton, to the uninitiated). 

Prince Harry, Kate Middleton

It seems like a lifetime ago now, but Harry and Kate used to be as close as any siblings.

(Image credit: Getty)

Harry once saw Kate more as the sister he never had than any type of in-law, but Spare really didn’t do Harry any favors in terms of relations with members of the royal family—Kate included. In particular, Harry reiterated claims that Kate made Meghan Markle cry in the leadup to Harry and Meghan’s May 2018 wedding (and not the other way around), and in Spare Harry also alleged that Kate “encouraged Harry to wear his infamous Nazi Halloween costume,” Us Weekly reports.

“Kate feels that Harry’s actions are atrocious,” a source told Us Weekly when the tell-all came out. “She is appalled at him for dragging her name through the dirt and is finding it hard to forgive.”

Cancer is, if nothing else, a great leveler—whether you’re rich, famous, or royal, it doesn’t discriminate. Royal author Dr. Tessa Dunlop—who wrote Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage, and Monarchy—said of Harry “When you do discover that your sister-in-law has cancer and you’ve written stuff that can’t be retracted, that’s quite a painful place to be in,” she said. “I’m not saying it isn’t.” She added “The big C—it’s kind of untouchable. When that comes creeping in the door, that just reframes everything.” 

Prince Harry and Kate Middleton

"Spare," released in January 2023, took aim at many members of the royal family, including Kate.

(Image credit: Getty)

In addition to Kate’s cancer diagnosis, Harry’s father, King Charles, and aunt Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, have also been diagnosed with cancer in what can only be described as a tumultuous year so far for the royal family. Within hours of Charles’ cancer diagnosis being made public on February 5, Harry was on a plane for a transatlantic flight to the U.K. to see his father face-to-face; after Kate’s own announcement of her health condition on March 22, Harry and Meghan said in a statement about the Princess of Wales “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

Though it’s unknown how much Harry and Kate communicate, according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Charles and Kate—both battling cancer—“have been getting closer and closer over the years,” Bond said, per The Sun. “He’s had a lot of admiration for her, even before they both became ill, but adversity always has the effect of binding people so much closer together.” 

King Charles and Kate Middleton

The King and the Princess of Wales are no doubt bonding through their similar health crises.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bond continued that “Their illnesses are an unbelievable and shocking coincidence, so for them to have each other as a shoulder to lean on must be beneficial for both of them as they go through this difficult time together. I imagine they are possibly checking in and seeing how one another is doing and what effect the treatment is having on them with frequent calls or video messages. They are seeking solace and comfort from one another.” She added “It must be comforting to know that they truly are not alone and can offer genuine and heartfelt support to one another in a way no one else in the family really can.”

King Charles and Kate Middleton

A silver lining of this season? Charles and Kate have never been closer.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.