Though Prince William is unlikely to publicly comment on the revelations made in Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, a source exclusively tells BAZAAR.com how the Prince of Wales is feeling about the bombshell book.
The memoir illuminates the royal brothers’ sibling rivalry like never before, documenting everything from family members nicknaming Harry as the “spare” to William’s “heir,” to William physically attacking Harry after the two got into a fight about Duchess Meghan.
A source tells BAZAAR‘s royal editor at large, Omid Scobie, that the Prince of Wales feels “devastated.”
“He’s not ignoring the things his brother has shared,” the source says. “The dust needs to settle, but … this has been food for thought.”
Spare also includes intimate portraits of the fraught relationships within the royal family, like Meghan and Princess Kate’s highly publicized feud and Queen Camilla’s “campaign” to marry King Charles III. Most damning of all is the exposure of the symbiotic relationship between the Firm and the press, which often means royal households compete against one another and leak stories about other family members to the tabloids.
“There was a feeling that whatever Harry said in his book would just be news today, gone tomorrow,” a palace insider tells BAZAAR. “However, the level of detail given in the book about specific relationships with the media has put it all under the microscope now.”
A former palace aide echoes that sentiment, adding, “The public chatter now happening about relationships with the press, and the actions that have come alongside that, may result in a more cautious approach in the future. A lot of people are watching.”
Digital Associate Editor
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers’ rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.