I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her

PRINCE Harry claims he and William begged Charles not to marry Camilla over fears she would be their wicked stepmother.

In an explosive section of his biography Spare, the Duke of Sussex relives the moment he was introduced to the now-Queen Consort for the first time.



I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her
Prince Harry has told how he feared Camilla would become his ‘wicked stepmother’

I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her
He and brother William begged their dad not to marry Camilla, Harry claims

The Celeb Report scooped the world by getting hold of a Spanish copy of the book, out on January 10, everyone wants to read today.

We can reveal Harry says he and his brother were aware of Camilla as the “other woman” and both had separate meetings with her before she officially joined the family.

Incredibly, he compared seeing her for the first time to avoiding pain while getting an injection.

He writes: “This is nothing. Close your eyes and you won’t even feel it.”

Revealing the private meeting, the prince claims Camilla appeared “bored”, saying it was “pure formality” as he was not the heir or a major obstacle.

They did, however, have small chat about horses, he says.

Also in the book, Harry alleges he pondered whether Camilla would one day be his “wicked stepmother”.

But he claims he and his brother were willing to forgive her in “their hearts” if she could make Charles happy.

The duke writes: “We saw that like us, he wasn’t.

“We could recognise the absent glances, the empty sighs, the frustration always visible on his face.”

He adds that he and William promised their dad they would welcome Camilla into the family – but the only thing they asked in exchange is that he didn’t marry her.

Harry claims they approved of her but “begged” Charles not to wed for a second time after the death of their mother Diana.

Charles did not respond, he alleges.

Both brothers feared she would be unfairly compared to the people’s princess, the book states.

Harry also claims that despite their protestations, a campaign began for the marriage to happen and for Camilla to become Queen.

The explosive revelations in Harry’s book include:

  • Prince Harry claimed his brother William ‘attacked’ him in a row over Meghan Markle
  • Harry called his therapist instead of Meg after the confrontation with his brother
  • Charles pleaded with Harry and William not to ‘make his final years a misery’
  • The Duke of Sussex revealed the nicknames he uses with William
  • Harry claimed William and Kate Middleton encouraged him to wear the infamous Nazi uniform
  • Harry accuses Camilla of leaking stories to the press and launching a campaign to marry Charles
  • The real reason why Harry’s autobiography is called ‘Spare’
  • The duke said he does want to go to King Charles’ coronation, a trailer for his ITV interview has revealed
  • The bombshell book accidentally went on sale early in Spain – and we got our hands on one of the first copies
  • Eagle-eyed royal fans think Harry’s fight story may not be the whole truth after spotting a clue in a photo
  • Meanwhile, seven times Harry was welcomed by the Royals have been revealed

In another bombshell, he accuses Camilla of leaking details of her conversation with William to the press.

Speaking about Charles, he says his father opened up about being bullied at school and “nearly never made it”, but carried teddies around all the time to cope.

Charles married Camilla in 2005 and last year Queen Elizabeth II said it was her sincere wish for Camilla to take on the title Queen Consort.

Harry has promised to tell all in his autobiography Spare, ghost-written by J R Moehringer.

He is expected to reveal more than his Netflix series did about the way he feels he has been treated by his family.

In an extract obtained by The Guardian, Harry claims his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan Markle.

He accused William of branding the former actress “rude” before grabbing him by the collar, ripping his necklace and sending him crashing down on top of a dog bowl.

The dad-of-two has already attacked the Firm in two TV interviews with ITV and CBS ahead of the book’s launch.

In a clip from a chat with Tom Bradby, which airs on Sunday, the duke says he wants his father and brother back – but he wants “a family not an institution”.

He also reveals how he wants to go to the King’s coronation but “the ball is in their court”.

And talking to Anderson Cooper, Harry says the family motto is: “Never complain, never explain.”



I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her
The royals at Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005

I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her
Harry, Meghan, Charles and Camilla at the Queen’s funeral in September 2022

I feared Camilla would be my wicked stepmother – Prince William and I begged our dad King Charles not to marry her
Charles and Diana with sons William and Harry