LONDON: Prince Harry claimed in his 2023 memoir Spare that King Charles III was concerned about other members of the royal family attracting more public attention than him, alleging that palace officials carefully managed media appearances to protect the then-prince’s public profile.
Harry wrote that then-Prince Charles was uncomfortable when Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales received extensive media coverage. According to the memoir, royal aides sought to avoid situations that could allow the couple to dominate newspaper headlines at the expense of Charles III and Camilla.
One example cited in Spare involved Princess Kate’s interest in tennis. Harry alleged that palace staff discouraged photographs of her holding a tennis racket during public engagements because such images were expected to attract significant media attention.
Harry also claimed those concerns resurfaced after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex married into the royal family.
He wrote that Charles believed Meghan had the potential to become an exceptionally popular royal, drawing comparisons with the widespread public fascination once associated with **Diana, Princess of Wales>.
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In the memoir, Harry alleged that his father feared “someone shiny and new” could capture the public spotlight and alter the balance within the monarchy. Buckingham Palace has not publicly addressed the specific claims made in Spare.
