Prince Harry said his "conscience is clear" after publishing his 2023 memoir "Spare," telling The Guardian he wrote the book out of a sense of principle rather than revenge. The Duke of Sussex made the comments during a visit to Ukraine that followed a private tea with his father, King Charles, in London.
"I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public," Harry told the newspaper. "It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear." He added that speaking out was not an act of stubbornness but one of "principles," saying, "It is not about revenge, it’s about accountability. You cannot have reconciliation before you have truth."
Harry said his wife, Meghan, encouraged him to "just stick to the truth," and that truth was the "most efficient way to live." He told The Guardian the memoir was intended to correct narratives that had previously gone unchallenged: "The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out, and it needed to be corrected."
The duke's comments came during a short trip to the U.K. in early September in which he supported charities and paid tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her death by visiting her grave in Windsor. He also delivered remarks at the annual WellChild Awards on Sept. 8 and traveled to Kyiv on Sept. 13 to inspect buildings damaged in the conflict there.
The private meeting with King Charles at Clarence House drew attention because it represented a rare direct contact after years of estrangement. Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024, met with his son for tea on Sept. 10, according to reports. Harry said the visit made him want to see his father more often and that he hoped to bring his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the U.K.
Royal aides and analysts said the meeting was significant in part because communication between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remains strained. Multiple outlets and royal commentators reported that William and Harry have little or no direct contact and that William is deeply upset by aspects of Harry’s public statements and the contents of the memoir. Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl wrote that the brothers’ relationship remains "at a low point," and sources close to the family told other outlets that William was "incensed" by Harry's earlier comments to the BBC in May about wanting reconciliation.
Harry has publicly expressed a desire for reconciliation in recent months, saying he does not wish to continue fighting and has acknowledged uncertainty about how much time his father has. At the same time, royal commentators noted that William’s camp did not participate in reported behind-the-scenes talks tied to the king’s outreach and that William’s team was reportedly not notified of the private meeting at Clarence House. Representatives for Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Harry’s Archewell office did not provide comment for this report.
The duke and his wife stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California, where they have since given interviews and produced documentaries detailing grievances with the royal household. "Spare," published in 2023, recounted family tensions and personal disputes, which many observers say exacerbated the rift.
Harry and Meghan, who live in California with their two children, have continued public engagements and advocacy work while navigating the long-running family split. Observers said any broad reconciliation will likely depend on further private discussions and demonstrable steps to rebuild trust among the parties involved.