KING Charles allegedly told Princess Diana she had given him an “heir and a spare” on the day Harry was born.
Writing in his new book, the Duke of Sussex said his father exclaimed: “My work is done” following the birth of his second child.
Prince Harry has claimed his father said he finally had ‘an heir and a spare’ on the day he was born
Charles and Diana following the birth of Harry
It was initially believed Harry‘s memoir, out on January 10, was titled Spare in reference to the widely-used generic term denoting the line of succession to the throne.
But it may have a more personal meaning to the prince, who claims he was known as a royal “spare” from birth.
Early on in the autobiography, Harry recounts how his dad reacted to becoming a dad of two.
The then-Prince of Wales supposedly said to his wife: “Wonderful. Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare.
“My work is done.”
The phrase “heir and spare” highlights the distinction between the eldest child, who is destined to inherit their parents’ fortune, power and position, and their younger sibling who is unlikely to ever ascend to the throne.
The late Queen‘s younger sister Princess Margaret was famously considered a royal “spare”.
Harry was later given the nickname as his brother William was first in line.
Spare, ghost-written by J R Moehringer, is expected to reveal more than Harry’s Netflix series did about the way he feels he has been treated by his family.
The book’s name is itself telling, but in an extract obtained by The Guardian Harry claims his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan.
Harry, 38, writes how William, 40, branded the former actress “rude” before grabbing him by the collar, ripping his necklace and sending him down on top of a dog bowl.
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
- 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
- Meanwhile, seven times Harry was welcomed by the Royals have been revealed
Harry 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.”
Charles and Diana with sons William and Harry, considered the ‘heir and spare’
Diana with a young Harry in Majorca in 1988
Harry is expected to reveal more about the way he feels about his family in his memoir Spare
