Prince Harry Responds to Claims He Punched Prince Andrew for Insulting Meghan: ‘I Can Confirm...'
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew share little more than their royal exits, as behind closed doors, their relationship was allegedly anything but cordial. Royal author Andrew Lownie’s upcoming book has grabbed headlines as he details a dramatic account of Harry allegedly ‘punching’ Andrew at a family gathering. The author claims Harry’s fury was sparked by his uncle reportedly calling Meghan Markle an ‘opportunist.' In light of the same, Harry has turned to his lawyers to vehemently deny the allegations and issue a strong response.
Lownie’s investigative book on Andrew Entitled was recently serialized in the Daily Mail ahead of its release on August 14. In the biography, Lownie penned, "Harry got the better of Andrew by all accounts," with the Prince leaving his uncle 'with a bloody nose' before their brawl was broken up. In response to the scathing accusations, Harry's team told Newsweek that they have involved lawyers to take legal action. They said, "Such are the gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks made in the Daily Mail's story, I can confirm a legal letter from Prince Harry's counsel has been sent to the Mail." The spokesperson added, "I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry."
Lownie, meanwhile, asserts that Harry and Andrew's alleged physical altercation took place at a 2013 family gathering over "something Andrew said behind Harry's back." The book claimed that Andrew reportedly told Harry he was 'bonkers' for not researching Markle’s background and told him the marriage would not last. He allegedly also "openly accused Meghan of being an opportunist," saying she was 'too old' to marry his nephew. A source told the author, "Harry later told William that he hated Andrew." The bombshell biography also includes insider accounts describing Andrew as a "nightmare to sit next to at dinner," owing to his tendency to make ghastly jokes about whether the ladies were wearing knickers.
While Harry and Andrew allegedly did not get along, their paths within the royal family followed surprisingly similar trajectories. In March 2020, Harry stepped down from royal duties alongside Markle, citing her mistreatment by the media and the Firm. Meanwhile, Andrew was forced to step down in November 2019 following public backlash over his association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. He later withdrew from public life entirely and, in 2022, was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles by the late Queen Elizabeth.
Interestingly, Harry also reportedly harbored a 'Prince Andrew' complex, as shared by his friend. Royal correspondent Royal Nikkah penned for the Sunday Times, "He [Harry] harbored a Prince Andrew complex of slipping down the pecking order and becoming irrelevant." She explained, "Harry has always been in such a rush to make an ‘impact’ because he thinks he has a limited shelf life before the public wants to hear more from [Prince] George and his siblings, and he worries that after that, he’ll turn into this uncle."