An Irish friend of Prince Diana's ex-lover James Hewitt claims it is absolute "nonsense" that he (Hewitt) is Prince Harry's father.
Legendary Marbella radio and TV presenter Maurice Boland regularly met and socialised with former British Army officer Hewitt when he lived and owned a restaurant Polo, on the popular Costa Del Sol holiday resort.
The Dubliner this week revealed: "For years I have been debunking these ridiculous rumours that Major Hewitt was Harry's dad.
Read More : Jonathan Dowdall fears he'll end up in wheelchair due to health issues
"It was such unbelievable nonsense simply because Harry's mother hadn't met Hewitt until after Prince Harry was born.
"Unfortunately the ridiculous conspiracy theorists will never admit that they are so wrong.
"I remember meeting James Hewitt on a number of occasions when he ran the Polo Restaurant.
"On one occasion we were having a coffee together when I broached the subject of the rumours that he was Harry's father.
"He laughed out loud and told me it would need to have been some kind of miracle as the young Prince was about two years old when he met the Princess.
"He went on to tell me he would have made a fortune from a book if he was Harry's father. He said he found the rumours. ridiculous."
Prince Harry has addressed the issue in his new book Spare.
He stated: " Pa (King Charles) liked telling stories and this was one of the best in his repertoire. He'd always end up with a burst of philosophising....."Who knows if I'm even your real father"?
"He'd laugh and laugh, though it was a remarkably unfunny joke, given the rumour circulating just then that my actual father was one of Mummy's former lovers Major James Hewitt.
"One cause of this rumour was Major Hewitt's flaming ginger hair but another cause was sadism. Never mind that my mother didn't meet Major Hewitt until long after I was born."
James Hewitt met Diana for the first time in 1986 at a party thrown by her Lady-In-Waiting Hazel West
Diana's late father the Earl of Spencer had red hair.
READ NEXT :
Hero Irish shopkeeper 'grabbed axe and robber soon changed his mind'
Tommy Tiernan reacts to his chat with Roy Keane after leaving viewers divided
Thousands missing out on €1,000 boost due to lack of awareness of Budget changes
Man jailed for rural burglary found dead in cell just hours into prison sentence
RTE Dancing With The Stars Carl Mullan feared he'd be seen as 'joke' participant
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter