Prince Harry has issued a denial that he ever had a physical fight with his uncle, Prince Andrew.
Following the release of an extract of a new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told HELLO! that the reports were incorrect.
“I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry,” they told HELLO!
The book alleges that in 2013 Harry and his uncle were in physical altercation over “something Andrew said behind Harry’s back”.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBritain’s Prince Harry has denied there was ever a fight with his uncle
Published in the Daily Mail, the extract, from author Andrew Lownie, claims that Harry and his brother Prince William both have a “problematic” relationship with Andrew, and that the 2013 fight saw “Harry get the better of Andrew by all accounts,” with Andrew left “with a bloody nose”.
The book also claims that the Duke of York told Harry he was “bonkers” for not properly researching the background of his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle, and that Andrew told the royal family that their marriage would not last.
© GettyMeghan Markle, Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth II
Harry and Meghan wed in 2017 and now live in Montecito, California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Andrew also allegedly “openly accused Meghan of being an opportunist,” and said she was “too old” for Harry; Harry “later told William that he hated Andrew,” the book reports.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesPrince Harry and Prince Andrew leave after attending the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III
The Duke of York and the Duke of Sussex, 40, were last seen together in May 2023 for the coronation of King Charles III.
Harry sat on the same row as Andrew, with four seats between them filled by Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, and their husbands. However, they may be reunited soon as Prince Harry and Meghan may head back to the UK for a royal wedding.
© POOL/AFP via Getty Images(Front row) Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, and Prince Harry at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023
Harry’s cousin Peter Phillips exclusively shared his engagement to NHS paediatrician Harriet Sperling with HELLO! on August 1, and the pair are now making wedding plans.
Peter, 47, is Princess Anne’s eldest child, and Prince Andrew’s oldest nephew.
© Samir HusseinHarry (2R) was close with his family, including Princess Eugenie (3R), pictured here in 2012
“Peter has been viewed as a supportive older brother figure,” HELLO!’s online royal correspondent Danielle Stacey said of the relationship between the cousins.
Danielle continued: “Peter previously said of his cousins that there was ‘quite a gang of us’ and they ’caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos’.”
© NetflixHarry and Eugenie cycling in California
Yet that bond continues to fracture, as the denial also comes amid allegations from Piers Morgan that Harry has cut ties with Andrew’s eldest Eugenie, once one of Harry’s closest allies in the royal family.
Princess Eugenie, 35, has maintained a strong bond with Harry and his wife Meghan, and was one of the first family members to visit the pair in California as well as reportedly welcoming them into her home at Ivy Cottage, where they first lived, during their UK visits.
© NetflixMeghan enjoyed a fun night out with Eugenie early in her romance with Harry
But in April, after reports emerged that Harry was furious with Eugenie for spending time with Piers, a former journalist, the outspoken TV personality confirmed the allegations.
“Well, that was because of me actually – the Eugenie thing – because she was with me and a group of other people in a pub in London,” he told Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan on his Uncensored show.
“I was seen hugging them goodbye, and Harry saw this and went completely ballistic. And I can confirm – breaking news – that this is entirely true.”
© GettyPrince Harry (far left) as a child standing next to Princess Eugenie in 1995
Reflecting on their once-close bond, HELLO!’s Online Royal Correspondent Danielle said at the time: “If Prince Harry has distanced himself from his cousin, Princess Eugenie, it’s a sorry state of affairs, particularly given their close bond. Eugenie was one of the first relatives with whom Harry spoke about his romance with Meghan Markle, and then Eugenie became one of the first family members to meet the future Duchess of Sussex.
“The Princess is thought to be one of the only relatives to visit the Sussexes after their move to the US, and Harry and Meghan have reportedly purchased a property in Portugal close to where Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, have a second home.”
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