Prince Harry defended the decision to publish his memoir Spare, saying in a new interview that his conscience is clear and that the book served to correct one-sided media narratives about royal life.
Speaking to The Guardian during a surprise trip to Kyiv last week, the Duke of Sussex said his 400-plus page memoir was written to address stories already in the public domain. “The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there,” he said, adding that he understood his decision to speak out “annoys some people and it goes against the narrative.” He rejected criticism that he had publicly aired private matters, saying, “I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear.”
The interview came shortly after a brief in-person meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, the first such encounter in nearly two years. When asked whether he would like to return to the U.K. more often with his children despite ongoing security challenges, Harry said, “Yes I would,” and that the recent meeting had made that possibility feel closer. He also said he would not discuss his father in specifics and that “the focus really has to be on my dad” this year.
King Charles announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Following the announcement, sources told HuffPost that the king and his son had spoken and arranged a reunion; Harry flew to the U.K. and met the king for a visit that lasted less than an hour.
Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020. Spare, published two years ago, offered a candid account of his life within the royal family and prompted widespread public and media reaction. Supporters said the memoir offered an important corrective to reporting about the couple, while critics said it revealed private family matters.
In the Guardian interview, Harry framed his decision to speak publicly as a corrective measure rather than a desire to sensationalize. He defended sharing his perspective in the years since he and Meghan left frontline royal roles, saying he acted to set the record straight on events and portrayals that had previously been presented from a single vantage point.
The Duke’s comments arrive as the royal household navigates the king’s health announcement and as security and diplomatic questions continue to shape the couple’s engagements. Harry’s recent travel to Kyiv, where he spoke with The Guardian, added an international dimension to his remarks and underscored his continuing public profile outside the U.K.
Two years on from Spare’s publication, Harry’s statements reflect an ongoing effort to explain his choices and to reconcile public scrutiny with private loyalties. He reiterated a desire to see his family in Britain more often, while flagging the practical constraints that remain.
The interview provides the latest public account from Harry since the memoir’s release and follows a period of sporadic contact with senior members of the royal family amid health concerns for the king and ongoing debate over the couple’s public roles.