Prince William “lunged” at Prince Harry and “grabbed him twice” in a row over his bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The incident, which took place two years after Prince Harry's brother allegedly hurt him by knocking him to the floor, is described in his new autobiography, Spare, which is due to be released in days.
It allegedly took place in front of their father, now King Charles III, after the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip in April last year.
The row was said to have developed as the trio were discussing the interview Prince Harry and his wife Meghan gave to Winfrey a month earlier.
Prince Harry said he was trying to address bullying allegations against Meghan, but his family “weren’t listening”.
“I waved a hand, disgusted, but he lunged, grabbed my shirt. 'Listen to me, Harold,'" Prince Harry wrote in his book, according to an excerpt shared in The Sun.
“I pulled away, refused to meet his gaze. He forced me to look into his eyes. 'Listen to me, Harold, listen! I love you, Harold! I want you to be happy.'"
Prince Harry said he replied: “I love you too … but your stubbornness is extraordinary!”
The Duke of Sussex said he tried to pull away but his brother grabbed him again and “twisted him” so they could maintain eye contact.
He said Prince William told him: “Harold, you must listen to me! I just want you to be happy, Harold. I swear I swear on Mummy's life.”
The duke said: “He stopped. I stopped. Pa stopped. He'd gone there.
“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.”
Prince William reportedly said again: “I swear to you now on Mummy's life that I just want you to be happy”, as Prince Harry replied: “I really don't think you do.”
Prince Harry said his brother then hugged him and said: “I love you.”
Prince Harry's ghostwriter JR Moehringer - in pictures
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JR Moehringer is the US writer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and novelist who ghostwrote Prince Harry's memoir, Spare. Getty -
Spare was released globally on January 10 -
Moehringer moved to Las Vegas to work on tennis star Andre Agassi's memoir -
Moehringer said he turned Agassi down several times before agreeing to work with him on Open. Getty / AFP -
Moehringer worked with Nike creator Phil Knight on his best-selling memoir, Shoe Dog -
Moehringer's own memoir about his childhood growing up on Long Island is called The Tender Bar, which was made into a film -
George Clooney directed the Hollywood version of Moerhinger's memoir The Tender Bar. Ben Affleck starred in it as Uncle Charlie. AFP -
Moehringer with actor Daniel Ranieri, who played his younger self in the fictionalised film version of his memoir. AP -
From left, Affleck, Lily Rabe, Daniel, Tye Sheridan and Christopher Lloyd arrive at the premiere of The Tender Bar in Los Angeles. AP -
Rabe and Affleck played a fictionalised version of Moehringer's mother and uncle in The Tender Bar. AP -
Daniel and Affleck in a scene from The Tender Bar. AP
During the Oprah Winfrey interview, Meghan said members of the UK royal family had conversations with Prince Harry expressing concerns about how dark their son Archie's skin would be ahead of his birth.
In a clip from ITV's interview with the duke, which will be shown on Sunday, Prince Harry speaks about seeing “the red mist” in his brother during an alleged confrontation in 2019.
He says Prince William knocked him to the floor during the incident at his flat in Nottingham Cottage, Kensington Palace.
“He wanted me to hit him back, but I chose not to,” he tells Tom Bradby.
“What was different here was the level of frustration, and I talk about the red mist that I had for so many years, and I saw this red mist in him.”
The duke writes of the confrontation in Spare — an extract of which was leaked by The Guardian on Thursday.
Prince Harry writes: “[William] called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.
“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Buckingham Palace has so far refused to comment on the claims.
In the book, Prince Harry also describes the guilt and grief he felt as a child while walking outside Kensington Palace after his mother Diana’s death.
Prince William and Prince Harry through the years - in pictures
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Prince William and Prince Harry join Queen Elizabeth II's funeral procession towards St George's Chapel in September 2022 in Windsor. Getty Images -
The royal brothers attend a vigil in honour of the queen at Westminster Hall, central London. Getty Images -
Prince William, his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at Westminster Hall as the queen's coffin is carried in. Getty Images -
The princes and their wives on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle, heading to meet mourners who had gathered and left tributes to Queen Elizabeth. Getty Images -
Prince William and Prince Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, in July 2021. Getty Images -
The princes at the ceremonial procession during the funeral of Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in April 2021. Getty Images -
The princes are joined by their wives for a Commonwealth Day service in March 2020 in London. Getty Images -
(L-R) Prince William, Sir David Attenborough, Prince Charles — now king — and Prince Harry attend the world premiere of Our Planet at London's Natural History Museum in April 2019. Getty Images -
The princes and their wives leave a Christmas Day service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, in December 2018. Getty Images -
Prince William and Prince Harry attend the opening of the Greenhouse Sports Centre in 2018 in London. Getty Images -
Prince William and Prince Harry watch the RAF 100th anniversary flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the queen, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Getty Images -
Prince William, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry attend an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2018. Getty Images -
Prince Harry with his best man, Prince William, as they wait for the start of his wedding ceremony to Meghan in 2018. Getty Images -
The princes race against each other at a London Marathon training day at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2017. Getty Images -
The princes try out light sabres during a tour of the Star Wars sets at Pinewood studio, London, in 2016. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William raise their wands on the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films. Getty Images -
The princes take part in the late queen's diamond jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William wave from the royal barge Spirit of Chartwell in 2012. Getty Images -
Prince William takes the hand of his bride Kate, followed by Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton as they walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in 2011. Getty Images -
The princes chat before the wedding in 2011. Getty Images -
The princes pose with David Beckham at an FA reception in Johannesburg, South Africa. Getty Images -
The princes on a visit to a classroom lit by oil lamps in Semongkong, Lesotho, in 2010. Getty Images -
The princes celebrate a try during the 2007 Rugby World Cup final between England and South Africa in 2007. Getty Images -
The princes pose for an official photograph for the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005. Getty Images -
The princes follow the coffin of their grandmother and Princess Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, in 2004. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth waves to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Prince Harry and Prince William look on after attending the Trooping of the Colour ceremony in 2003. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and his sons William and Harry appear at a photo call in the Swiss village of Klosters at the start of his annual skiing holiday in 2002. Getty Images -
Princes William and Harry appear with the Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st birthday in 2001. Getty Images -
Prince Philip, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles follow the coffin of Princess Diana in September 1997. Getty Images -
Prince William and Prince Harry pose with Princess Diana and Prince Charles on Prince William's first day at Eton College in 1995. Getty Images -
Princess Diana with the young princes at the piano in Kensington Palace in 1985. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their sons aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Venice in 1985. Getty Images
He said he cried only once during the period after his mother's death, and he and Prince William were unable to show any emotion when they met grieving members of the public.
“Everyone knows where they were and what they were doing the night my mother died,” he said in another clip to promote the ITV interview.
“I cried once, at the burial, and you know I go into detail about how strange it was and how actually there was some guilt that I felt, and I think William felt as well, by walking around the outside of Kensington Palace.”
In other revelations, the book claims:
- He took cocaine
- The prince killed 25 people in Afghanistan
- Prince Harry believes his brother is his “arch nemesis”
- Prince William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”
- The brothers call each other Willy and Harold
- Prince Harry and Prince William begged their father not to marry Camilla as they feared she would be a “wicked stepmother”
- Prince William and his wife, Kate, encouraged Prince Harry to wear the Nazi uniform to a party
- Prince Harry visited a psychic who told him his mother said he was living the life “she couldn’t” but “wanted” for him
- Prince Harry still wants reconciliation with his family
Harry: The Interview will be broadcast at 9pm GMT on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday. Spare will be released on Tuesday.
