Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti talks about Prince Harry’s memoir and the new dynamic within the royal family.
Air New Zealand poked fun at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on social media after refuting a claim made by the Duke of Sussex in his new memoir, Spare.
In the bestselling book, the 38-year-old recalled that Markle booked a first-class Air New Zealand ticket from Mexico to the UK for her father Thomas Markle in 2018.
However, an airline representative told the New Zealand Herald that it has never operated flights between Mexico and the United Kingdom and does not offer first class tickets. The airline later apparently attacked the couple on its official Twitter page.
“Introducing #SussexClass. Apparently coming soon,” the company wrote on Friday, adding emojis of a crown and eyes.
Air New Zealand poked fun at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on social media after refuting a claim made by the Duke of Sussex in his new memoir, Spare. (Getty/Getty Images)
In “Spare,” Harry wrote that he and his wife urged their father to leave Mexico and fly to the UK to avoid media harassment after Thomas was caught paparazzi ahead of the couple’s 2018 royal wedding -Photos staged.
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE’S DOCUMENTATIONS HAS BOOK PUBLISHERS ‘CONCERNED’ MEMOIR SALES WILL SUFFER: ROYAL EXPERT
“We told him leave Mexico immediately: a whole new level of harassment is about to rain down on you, so come to the UK. Now,” wrote the Duke of Sussex.
An airline spokesman responded to the claims on Thursday, telling The New Zealand Herald: “We have never had flights between Mexico and the UK. And we only have Business Premier.”
Twitter users had a mixed reaction to Air New Zealand’s tweet, with some praising the cheeky response.
“Just another of Harold’s many lies… busted,” wrote one social media user. “BRILLIANT!” Another chimed in, adding three heart emojis.
“I love the personality of Air New Zealand,” added one user.
However, others slammed the airline for the joke.
“How unprofessional,” said one commenter.
“Bad form air nz,” agreed another. “Someone on the social media team is clearly not a Harry fan and thought the entire customer base would find this funny.”
“Wow, I had a really good impression of Air New Zealand until I saw this. Surprisingly petty. Rough,” another Twitter user chimed in.
Harry wrote that Meghan Markle bought a first class ticket for her father Thomas Markle from Mexico to the UK in 2018 (Image: Getty/YouTube/Getty/Fox News)
Some also defended Harry’s account, arguing that Markle could have bought a ticket that included a stopover in Los Angeles or a separate flight to LAX.
Since “Spare” was released on Jan. 10, some readers have pointed out other alleged inconsistencies in the book.
In his memoirs, Harry referred to King Henry VI, who founded his alma mater Eton College, as his “great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.”
However, historians and social media users noted that King Henry VI’s only son, Edward of Westminster, died at the Battle of Tewkesbury at the age of 17 without having any children.
Harry also wrote that he was at Eton when his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, died in March 2002. According to GB News, citing extensive news report coverage at the time, Harry was on a skiing trip in Switzerland when the Queen Mother died.
Photos showed Harry returning to the UK the day after her death, according to the outlet.
Additionally, Harry shared that he received an Xbox for his 13th birthday in September 1997. He wrote that the gift was from his mother, Princess Diana, and was given to him by his aunt, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, after Diana died in a car accident in August 1997.
Upon its much-anticipated release, the explosive tell-all book broke a record for its publisher, selling 1.4 million copies on its first day of release. (AP Photo, File / AP Images)
Social media users were quick to point out that the Xbox game console was only released in November 2001 in the US and March 2002 in Europe and Australia.
Representatives from Harry, Markle and Penguin Random House did not immediately respond to FOX Business’s request for comment.
JR Moehringer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter behind “Spare,” appeared to defend the alleged inaccuracies in the memoir with a tweet Wednesday, in which he quoted author Mary Karr.
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“The line between memory and fact is blurred, between interpretation and fact. There are unintentional bugs of this nature from the Wazoo,” the quote reads.
Upon its much-anticipated release, the explosive tell-all book broke a record for its publisher, selling 1.4 million copies on its first day of release.
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“Penguin Random House announced today that the English language edition of SPARE, the memoir of Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, sold more than 1,430,000 million copies across all formats and editions on day one in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom became publication, Tuesday, January 10, 2023,” read a statement from Penguin Random House, according to People Magazine.
“SPARE’s first full day of sales represents the largest first-day sales for a non-fiction book ever published by Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher.”