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Prince Harry Is ‘Trying to Get a Rise Out of’ Members of the Royal Family But Might ‘Come to Rethink’ Speaking Out, Royal Expert Claims (Exclusive)

Does silence speak volumes? The royal family has yet to publicly comment on Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare — and one royal expert thinks the Duke of Sussex was hoping for more of a reaction.

Related: Prince Harry’s Quotes About Reconciling With Royal Family Amid Feud

“I think he’s trying to get a rise out of somebody,” Christopher Andersen exclusively told Us Weekly of Harry, 38, on Wednesday, January 11. “But as we approach the coronation, I think all [King] Charles [III] wants is calm … [which is], I think, making [Harry] very frustrated that he’s not getting any kind of response.”

The prince’s tell-all, which hit shelves on Tuesday, January 10, includes allegations that a “gung-ho” member of Charles’ team “devised and launched a new campaign of getting good press” for the king, 74, and Queen Consort Camilla ahead of their 2005 nuptials. According to Harry, the strategy came “at the expense of bad press” for him and Prince William.

The former military pilot also refers to Camilla, 75, as “dangerous” within the pages of Spare. During his Sunday, January 8, appearance on 60 Minutes, Harry explained to Anderson Cooper how exactly his stepmother posed a threat.

“Because of the need for her to rehabilitate her image. That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press,” the prince said. “And there was open willingness on both sides to trade off information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to being Queen Consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street because of that.”

Andersen told Us that Harry’s comments about the queen consort could deepen the rift between him and his father.

Related: Prince Harry’s Most Illuminating Quotes About King Charles Relationship

“Charles is very defensive when it comes to Camilla, and therefore, anything negative about Camilla, he’s not going to take well at all. So, we’ll just have to see what he does,” the journalist said. “I was convinced that Harry and Meghan [Markle] would be in the coronation; now I’m not so convinced they’ll even be asked.”

Is ‘Trying to Get a Rise Out of' Members of the Royal Family But Might ‘Come to Rethink’ Speaking Out, Royal Expert Claims 2021
Prince Harry gestures in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, January 2020. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Shutterstock

 

Charles became king in September 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II; his official coronation will take place in May. Harry was asked whether he plans to attend the event during his Sunday interview with ITV.

“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then,” the Archewell cofounder said. “But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”

In addition to claims about his father and stepmom, the former senior royal made multiple allegations about his brother, William, 40, in Spare. In one chapter, Harry claimed that William got physical with him during a 2019 fight over Meghan, 41, in which the Duke of Cambridge allegedly referred to the Suits alum as “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.” (After tying the knot in 2018, Harry and Meghan, 41 — who stepped back from their roles as senior members of the royal family in January 2020 — went on to welcome son Archie and daughter Lilibet in May 2019 and June 2021, respectively.)

After the book was released, a source exclusively told Us that William is “horrified” by his brother’s allegations.

“He doesn’t even recognize his own brother anymore,” the insider said of the Prince of Wales. “He wants to believe that there’s still hope for peace down the line but it’s hard. The fact Harry has been so rude and insulting towards him, his wife, his father and the monarchy as a whole is just terrible and he doesn’t see how Harry can possibly come back into the fold in any capacity now.”

Related: Prince William and Prince Harry’s Complicated Relationship Over the Years

Despite Harry’s talk of reconciliation with his family — he said during his ITV interview that he “would like to get my father back” — Andersen thinks the BetterUp CIO could be persona non grata in his family for quite some time.

“The royal family, when they close ranks, you can be on the outs for decades,” he said. Although the Brothers and Wives author believes that Harry felt “he had to get this all off his chest” to the public, he does think it’s possible that the prince will come to regret his airing of family business.

“Everything hinges on his relationship with Meghan. If they stay happily married, then this will probably work for him. [But], if there are any cracks in the marriage in the future, I don’t know, maybe then he might come to rethink [this],” Andersen said.

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