Allies of Britain’s royal family have rejected Prince Harry’s claims in his new memoir, which portrays the monarchy as a cold and ruthless institution that failed to nurture or support him.
Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the book. But British newspapers and websites were filled with quotes from “royal insiders” refuting Harry’s accusations, and one of them said that his public attack on the royal family had a “negative impact” on the health of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
Veteran journalist Jonathan Dembley, a biographer and friend of King Charles III, said Harry’s revelations were the kind “you’d expect from a B-list type of celebrity” and that the king would be sorely missed by it.
“All his concern is to serve as head of state for a nation that we all know is in a very troubled state,” Dembele told the BBC. I think he will see that this will get in the way.”
Harry’s book, “The Back-up,” is the latest in a series of public statements by the prince and his wife, Meghan, since they left royal life and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of Meghan, who is biracial, and a lack of support from the palace. It follows an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a six-part documentary released by Netflix last month.
Harry is not the first British royal to publish family secrets, as his parents used the media as their marriage collapsed.
