Camilla ‘hurt’ to be branded ‘villain’ by Prince Harry, friend claims

Prince Harry claimed that Camilla ‘leaked’ stories to the press

Ellie Muir
Tuesday 18 April 2023 07:34 BST
Comments
Camilla 'hurt' to be branded 'villain' by Prince Harry, close friend claims

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Queen Camilla was reportedly left “hurt” over being labelled “the villain” by Prince Harry in his memoir, a source has suggested.

In Spare, which was released in January, Prince Harry claimed that his stepmother leaked stories about the royal family to the media to bolster her image.

“I have complex feelings about gaining a step-parent who I thought had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar,” he wrote.

He says meeting Camilla – referred to as the “Other Woman” in his book – was like an “injection”, writing: “Close your eyes and you won’t even feel it.”

Harry continued: “I remember wondering... if she would be cruel to me; if she would be like all the evil stepmothers in the stories.”

Then, during ITV’s Harry: The Interview, the Duke of Sussex claimed stories began to be leaked after both he and his brother “begged” Charles not to marry Camilla.

In a new interview, sources close to the Queen have been reflecting on her journey ahead of her coronation.

“Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts. But she doesn’t let it get to her,” Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne, told The Sunday Times of Camilla’s reaction to the memoir.

Charles and Camilla married in 2005 but they have been linked since the Seventies
Charles and Camilla married in 2005 but they have been linked since the Seventies (Getty Images)

Ms Petty-Fitzmaurice is one of the Queen’s six companions and is married to Charles, 9th Marquess of Lansdowne.

It comes as Buckingham Palace has announced that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation on 6 May, without his wife Meghan Markle, who will stay at home with their children in California.

King Charles is reportedly using the coronation as an opportunity to “mend” family divisions, reports have claimed.

This includes bringing the disgraced Prince Andrew, the Duke of York in “from the cold” after reports claim that he was asked to leave his Windsor residence Royal Lodge.

A source told PageSix: “Relations between the King and his brother have never been this bad. It has turned into a real battle which he never expected and it’s left him tired and infuriated.”

Meanwhile, The Independent has learnt that the Duchess of York has not been invited to the coronation.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in