Harry said, "every single time I tried to do it privately, there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife."
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as members of the Royal Family, many news outlets termed this "Megxit." Almost three years later, the memoir of Prince Harry, Spare, is about to be released. The Prince has been promoting Spare on various platforms. Recently, in an interview with the British outlet ITV, Harry mentioned that he wants to reconcile with his father and his brother.
He added, "It never needed to be this way," Harry told ITV's Tom Bradby in the preview in which no questions can be heard. He goes on to refer to "the leaking and the planting" of stories in the British press before telling Bradby, "I want a family, not an institution." At another point in the ITV interview, Harry spoke of his wish to reconcile with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William. He further said, "They feel as though it is better to keep us somehow as the villains," and "they have shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile." However, it is not clear who he is referring to. He also added, "I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back."
In an interview with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Harry expands on allegations of "leakings" in the media and how negative stories have affected him and his wife Meghan. He also tells Cooper why he's addressing these matters publicly.
Harry said, "every single time I tried to do it privately, there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife. You know the family motto is 'never complain, never explain' … it's just a motto and it doesn't really … hold. Through leaks, they will speak or have a conversation with the correspondent, and that correspondent will literally be spoon-fed information and write the story, and at the bottom of it they will say they reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment, but the whole story is Buckingham Palace commenting." He also said, "so when we're being told for the last six years we can't put a statement out to protect you, but you do it for other members of the family, there becomes a point when silence is betrayal."
The publisher Penguin Random House has described Harry's memoir as “intimate and heartfelt". Harry also wrote about his memoir. In a statement released by his publisher at the time, said “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man, I have become.” He also added that he was aiming to produce a “first hand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.” He wrote, “I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think,” he wrote.
Harry wants to reconcile with his brother and his family. However, his Netflix series—Harry & Meghan and Spare are more likely to widen the rift between the brothers. As, following the docuseries, royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET, "I think it really does set back any chance of a reconciliation for the foreseeable future." Reconciliation looks difficult in light of the recent rift in the Royal Family and Prince Harry but all eyes are on how the family responds to Harry's wish for reconciliation.
References:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm6c6LiITMi/?igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc%3D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AdEWUF1B2k
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince-harry-60-minutes-speaking-publicly-2023-01-02/
Cover Image: Getty Images | Photo by Pascal Le Segretain
