Bereaved boy, troubled teen, wartime soldier, unhappy royal 害羞草研究所� many facets of Prince Harry are revealed in his explosive memoir, often in eyebrow-raising detail.
From accounts of cocaine use and losing his virginity to raw family rifts, 害羞草研究所淪pare害羞草研究所� exposes deeply personal details about Harry and the wider royal family.
The Associated Press purchased a copy of the Spanish-language edition of the book ahead of its publication around the world on Tuesday. Its revelations have electrified the British media 害羞草研究所� but have been met with silence from Buckingham Palace.
BROTHER AND SON
The book opens with a quote from American writer William Faulkner: 害羞草研究所淭he past is never dead. It害羞草研究所檚 not even past.害羞草研究所�
Harry害羞草研究所檚 story is dominated by his rivalry with elder brother Prince William and the death of the boys害羞草研究所� mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. Harry, who was 12 at the time, has never forgiven the media for Diana害羞草研究所檚 death in a car crash while being pursued by photographers.
The loss of his mother haunts the book, which Harry dedicates to wife Meghan, children Archie and Lili 害羞草研究所渁nd, of course, my mother.害羞草研究所�
The opening chapter recounts how his father Prince Charles 害羞草研究所� now King Charles III 害羞草研究所� broke the news of his mother害羞草研究所檚 accident, but didn害羞草研究所檛 give his son a hug.
Harry reveals that years later he asked his driver to take him through the Pont de l害羞草研究所橝lma tunnel in Paris, site of the fatal crash, hoping in vain that it would help end a 害羞草研究所渄ecade of unrelenting pain. He also says he once consulted a woman who claimed to have 害羞草研究所減owers害羞草研究所� and to be able to pass on messages from Diana.
Harry adds that he and William both 害羞草研究所渂egged害羞草研究所� their father not to marry his long-term paramour Camilla Parker-Bowles, worried she would become a 害羞草研究所渨icked stepmother.害羞草研究所�
Harry also is tormented by his status as royal 害羞草研究所渟pare害羞草研究所� behind William, who is heir to the British throne. Harry recounts a longstanding sibling rivalry that worsened after Harry began a relationship with American actress Meghan Markle, whom he married in 2018.
He says that during an argument in 2019, William called Meghan 害羞草研究所渄ifficult害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渞ude,害羞草研究所� then grabbed him by the collar and knocked him down. Harry suffered cuts and bruises from landing on a dog bowl.
Harry says Charles implored the brothers to make up, saying after the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021: 害羞草研究所淧lease, boys. Don害羞草研究所檛 make my final years a misery.害羞草研究所�
Neither Buckingham Palace, which represents King Charles III, nor William害羞草研究所檚 Kensington Palace office has commented on any of the allegations.
WILD TEENAGE YEARS
The memoir suggests the media害羞草研究所檚 party-boy image of Harry during his teen and young adult years was well-deserved.
Harry describes how he lost his virginity at 17 害羞草研究所� in a field behind a pub to an older woman who loved horses and treated the teenage prince like a 害羞草研究所測oung stallion.害羞草研究所� It was, he says, a 害羞草研究所渉umiliating episode.害羞草研究所�
He also says he took cocaine several times starting at the same age, in order 害羞草研究所渢o feel. To be different.害羞草研究所� He also acknowledges using cannabis and magic mushrooms 害羞草研究所� which made him hallucinate that a toilet was talking to hm.
ARMY REVELATIONS
Harry spent a decade in the British Army, serving twice in Afghanistan. He says that on his second tour, as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner in 2012-2013, he killed 25 Taliban militants. Harry says he felt neither satisfaction nor shame about his actions, and in the heat of battle regarded enemy combatants as pieces being removed from a chessboard, 害羞草研究所淏addies eliminated before they could kill Goodies.害羞草研究所�
Veterans criticized the comments and said they could increase the security risk for Harry. Retired Col. Richard Kemp said it was 害羞草研究所渁n error of judgment,害羞草研究所� and regarding enemy fighters as chess pieces is 害羞草研究所渘ot the way the British Army trains people.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 think that sort of comment that doesn害羞草研究所檛 reflect reality is misleading and potentially valuable to those people who wish the British forces and British government harm,害羞草研究所� he told the BBC.
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi called the Western invasion of Afghanistan 害羞草研究所渙dious害羞草研究所� and said Harry害羞草研究所檚 comments 害羞草研究所渁re a microcosm of the trauma experienced by Afghans at the hands of occupation forces who murdered innocents without any accountability.害羞草研究所�
PERSONAL JOURNEY
Harry credits Meghan with changing the way he sees the world and himself. He says he was 害羞草研究所渨rapped in privilege害羞草研究所� and had no understanding of unconscious bias before he met her.
The young prince notoriously wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party in 2005, and claims in the book that William and his now-wife Kate encouraged the choice of outfit and 害羞草研究所渉owled害羞草研究所� with laughter when they saw it. He was recorded using a racist term about a fellow soldier of Pakistani descent in 2006, but says he did not know the word was a slur.
Meghan and Harry cited the U.K. media害羞草研究所檚 treatment of the biracial American actress as one of the main reasons for their decision to quit royal duties and move to the U.S. in 2020.
The book gives no sign that royal family relations will be repaired soon. Harry told ITV in an interview to promote the book that he wants reconciliation, but that there must be 害羞草研究所渁ccountability害羞草研究所� first.
In the final pages, Harry describes how he and William walked side by side during the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II in September, but spoke barely a word to one another.
害羞草研究所淭he next day, Meg and I returned to the United States,害羞草研究所� he says.
By Jill Lawless
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
