Prince William; Prince Harry.Photo: Daniel Leavl-Olivas-Pool Getty Images; Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Harry’s memoirSparewas published one year ago today, inspiring a look back at a dramatic passage that marked a defining moment in the breakdown of his relationship with his brotherPrince William.
In the last chapter of the groundbreaking book, released on Jan. 10, 2023, Harry recounts how a heated exchange with his older brother and fatherKing CharlesafterPrince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 took an emotional turn as they discussed the circumstances around Harry and wifeMeghan Markle’s decision to step back from royal life. The Duke of Sussex, 39, says that William shockingly used their “secret code” connected to their late motherPrincess Diana, who died at age 36 in 1997.
“’Harold, you must listen to me! I just want you to be happy, Harold. I swear… I swear on Mummy’s life,’ ” Harry writes.
Princess Diana at a dinner at the British Embassy in Washington, DC in November 1985.Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty
Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty
Harry said that the reference stopped both him and Charles in their tracks. The father and sons had been walking around Frogmore Gardens hours after Prince Philip’s funeral.
“He’d used the secret code, the universal password. Ever since we were boys those three words were to be used only in times of extreme crisis,” Harry writes inSpare. “For nearly twenty-five years we’d reserved that soul-crushing vow for times when one of us needed to be heard, to be believed, quickly. For times when nothing else would do.”
The Duke of Sussex adds that William’s use of the powerful phrase “stopped me cold” because it “didn’t work.”
“I simply didn’t believe him, didn’t fully trust him. And vice versa. He saw it to. He saw that we were in a place of such hurt and doubt that even those sacred words couldn’t set us free,” Harry writes of the emotional moment.
Whilespeaking to PEOPLElast year about the book, Prince Harry kept it open-ended when asked what he hoped his family’s takeaway was.
“I don’t want to tell anyone what to think of it and that includes my family. This book and its truths are in many ways a continuation of my own mental health journey. It’s a raw account of my life — the good, the bad and everything in between,” Prince Harry said.
Prince Harry leaves after the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.Getty
Getty
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Harryleft Londonshortly after the service to return to California, where Meghan and their childrenPrince ArchieandPrincess Lilibetcelebrated Archie’s 4th birthday. The Duke of Sussex traveled back to London in June tohistorically testifyagainst Mirror Group Newspapers over allegations of phone hacking and other unlawful acts. Heemerged victoriousin the litigation in December 2023 and described the judge’s decision as “vindicating and affirming.”
source: people.com
