Prince Harry Pushes Back on Punch Allegations Against Prince Andrew
Kai Montgomery here, grumpy guru in residence: Here comes the obvious disclaimer no one asked for: royal drama never sleeps. Prince Harry has officially refuted the rumored physical altercation with Prince Andrew at a 2013 family gathering that surfaced in a new biography. A spokesperson for Harry told People on August 2 that “neither of those things are true” and clarified that the Duke of Sussex and Prince Andrew “have never had a physical fight” nor did Andrew allegedly call Meghan an “opportunist” behind Harry’s back.
The claim originated in Andrew Lownie’s joint biography, The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which was excerpted by the Daily Mail. The passage describes a heated moment at Sandringham where Andrew supposedly made a snide remark about Meghan Markle and Harry allegedly responded with a flurry of punches that left Andrew nursing a bloody nose. The book paints Andrew as a controversial figure, recalling his split from Sarah Ferguson and a string of royal controversies, but Harry’s camp insists this particular scrap never happened.
This denial lands against the backdrop of ongoing family tension since Harry and Meghan’s departure from senior royal duties in early 2020. After announcing their plan “to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent” on Instagram, the couple relocated to Montecito, California. Their split fueled months of speculation and public wrangling over titles, security, and royal protocol.
Matters heated up further this year when Harry shared on the BBC that King Charles III has refused to engage amid a legal battle over security protection with the UK government. “I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry told BBC in May. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much time my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
While Harry straightens out one rumor, the palace press office is juggling other announcements. Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, confirmed his engagement to Harriet Sperling on August 1 in a statement to Hello. Queen Camilla, one day before her 78th birthday, made history as the first woman appointed Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom by King Charles III. Meanwhile, Kate, Princess of Wales, withdrew from Royal Ascot hours before the races as she manages her return to public life following her cancer diagnosis. Harry also recently lost an appeal in his High Court case over additional security protection—a legal blow his representatives have publicly lamented.
Look, I don’t want to be the one to point out the obvious, but royal families really know how to keep the gossip mills grinding. Let’s see what drama tomorrow brings.
And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Daily Mail, BBC, Hello!
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
