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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Kyle O'Sullivan & Kieran Isgin & Jennifer Newton

Six Prince Harry claims from new book that are causing doubt

The Duke of Sussex's new autobiography has made some major allegations against the royal family, however, there are some claims that many readers are having a hard time believing.

Some readers and royal experts who have already made their way through the 407-page book are already questioning some of its contents. For example, claims that Harry's stepmother Queen Camilla leaked stories about their first meetings as well as some inaccurate date, are being held up to scrutiny.

Here's a closer look at some of the more doubtful claims contained in the Prince's new controversial book, the Mirror reports.

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Camilla leaked information to press

Harry claims Camilla leaked details about their initial meeting to the press (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Harry has accused his stepmother Camilla of leaking details about her first-ever meeting with his brother Prince William to the press. He argues that William would never have leaked such information, deducing that it must have been Camilla.

But, this has been disputed by royal sources. The Telegraph reported that Camilla informed a former aide - who was hired in 1998 - about the meeting in private.

This aide then reportedly told her husband, who then told a colleague who spoke to a newspaper. The aide released a statement saying: "It is a matter of great regret to me that chance remarks of mine led to the disclosure in the press of the private meeting between Mrs Parker Bowles and Prince William.

“I am so very sorry for the distress this has caused. Above all, my shame is that I have failed those who demand loyalty and trust, particularly my remarkable employer Mrs Parker Bowles.

“I am very sorry to be leaving but as the person responsible for this unhappy chain of events, I cannot with honour remain in this position."

Harry's location when Queen mother died

Harry claims he was at Eton when learning of the Queen Mother's death, but reports state otherwise (Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock)

The Duke of Sussex claimed he learned of his great-grandmother's death when he was at school in Eton. However, reports from the time state that the then-17-year-old prince was in Switzerland skiing with his father and brother.

At the time, Charles released a statement informing of his plan to return to the UK as soon as possible. Harry was even photographed a day later returning to the country. In Spare, Harry wrote: "At Eton, while studying, I took a call. I wish I could remember whose voice was at the other end; a courtier's, I believe.

"I recall that it was just before Easter, the weather was bright and warm, light slanting through my window, filled with vivid colours. Your Royal Highness, the Queen Mother has died."

But at the time in 2002, Buckingham Palace issued the following statement: "The Queen, with the greatest sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made immediately: Her beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth, died peacefully in her sleep this afternoon."

The Prince of Wales' spokeswoman also issued a statement later that day, indicating that he was staying with his sons. The statement said: "He [Charles] is devastated. His only wish is to get home as soon as he can."

A BBC News online report from the time clearly adds "William and Harry [were] away skiing in Klosters when the 101-year-old died in her sleep."

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News: "This is a serious error in a hugely controversial book.

"That Harry is clearly wrong in his recollection of the facts as to where he was when the Queen Mother died leaves doubt as to how closely this book has been fact-checked.

"One wonders how many other factual errors are to be found within its pages."

Harry claims to have received an Xbox four years before they were actually released

In the early pages of the book, Harry goes into details surrounding his 13th birthday on September 15, 1997 - just weeks after the tragic death of his mother Princess Diana.

As he was given cake and sorbet during a celebration, he explains that he was asked to make a wish, and was thinking of Diana when "out of nowhere" his aunt Sarah appeared holding a box. He goes on to explain that the box contained an Xbox games console.

According to Harry, aunt Sarah revealed that Diana had bought the games console for him shortly before her death, while she was in Paris.

However, in Spare, he also writes: "That's the story, anyway. It's appeared in many accounts of my life, as gospel, and I have no idea if it's true. Pa said Mummy hurt her head, but perhaps I was the one with brain damage? As a defence mechanism, most likely, my memory was no longer recording things quite as it once did."

The Xbox wasn't actually available to buy until four years later, which means Harry might be getting slightly confused. Released in 2001, Xbox was Microsoft's first entry into the world of console electronic gaming, which placed it in direct competition with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube.

First-date outfit discrepancies

Harry and Meghan seem to disagree on what the latter wore on their first date (Getty Images)

Harry recalls his first meeting with Meghan Markle after weeks of texting. He states that she was wearing a black sweatshirt, jeans and heels. He adds that while he knows nothing about fashion (he later admits only shopping once every six months at TK Maxx), he says he could tell she was “chic”.

Despite this, Meghan previously said she had worn a blue dress at their first meeting. During an ITV documentary, Meghan made the statement about the dress while examining her own wedding dress.

Seeing the dress for the first time since her wedding during ITV’s Queen and Commonwealth, she said: “My goodness, it’s amazing, isn’t it?

“Somewhere in here, there’s a piece of… did you see it?” she points out when inspecting her veil. “The piece of blue fabric that’s stitched inside. It was my something blue. It’s fabric from the dress that I wore on our first date. It’s nice to see it again. It’s beautiful.”

However, it’s possible that there is only a little bit of confusion as Harry recalls Meghan wearing a blue dress on their second date.

Charles and Camilla's wedding

One of Harry's first mentions of Queen Consort Camilla claims that Harry plead to his father to not marry her after meeting her for the first time. He also goes into depth about the couple's big day in April 2005.

He said he "knew without question that this marriage would take Pa away from us" and had mixed feelings that day. However, a former royal butler, Grant Harrold, who worked with Charles and Camilla for seven years said that Harry was excited on the wedding day.

Speaking with Spin Genie, he said: "I was there for the wedding, the engagement. I promise you from my point of view and as I say, I wasn’t there every single second so I can’t guarantee what conversations took place but when I was around they all got on. [Harry and William] supported their father, they were very excited about it and they were there at the actual wedding as well.

"I saw when the cars drove off after the wedding, there was William and Harry running after the cars with the cans. Why would you do that? If you were so against it you wouldn’t even go outside."

The Queen's death

Near the end of his book, Harry explores the days surrounding the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Both Harry and Meghan were in the UK during her final moments, so he claims that the pair rushed to Balmoral - but adds that he was too late and she had already passed away.

In Spare, Harry says as his plane began its descent "my phone lit up" with a text from Meghan telling him to call her - and it prompted him to check the BBC website, where he learned "Granny was gone. Pa was King".

However, royal sources have previously stressed that Harry was informed of the Queen's passing before an official statement was released. One told the Telegraph: "The King was adamant that the official statement must not be released until all members of the family had been informed. That was a father talking because he cares."

Brother's wedding

Harry also gave some never-before-heard details about his brother's wedding with Kate. At the wedding ceremony, William wore the bright red uniform of the Irish Guards at the late Queen's insistence - despite, Harry claims, wanting to wear his Household Cavalry frock coat uniform.

In Spare, Harry writes: "Willy was glum at having so little say in what he wore to get married, at having his autonomy taken from him on such an occasion. He'd told me several times that he felt frustrated."

However writing in the Daily Mail, biographer Robert Hardman says when he talked to William shortly after his wedding, he was not glum about the uniform he had to wear that day.

He said: "When I interviewed Prince William about his wedding a few weeks after the event for my book, Our Queen, he not only had fond memories of the Queen’s insistence on his choice of uniform. He was very funny about it and laughed a lot."

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