Prince Harry has admitted to suffering from a “spotty memory” while writing his bombastic memoir, but insisted his version of events contains “as much truth” as there is “so-called objective fact”. The Duke defended possible inaccuracies in his book, Spare, published yesterday in the UK, as “misremembering” details – particularly those surrounding the death of his mother Princess Diana.
Describing a trip to the late Queen’s Scottish estate, Balmoral, in 1997, Harry said he could remember “landscape, geography, architecture” in “crisp detail” – but struggled with “dates and dialogue”.
He explained: “Whatever the reason, my memory is my memory, it does what it does, collects and curates as it sees fit, and there is just as much truth in what I remember and as there is.” remind me as in the so-called objective facts.”
Elsewhere, the Duke hinted that his memory was “stained” after the death of his mother Princess Diana, adding he may “misremember my own struggles with memory from back then,” the Chron reported.
The claims about his memory come amid a book that contains many controversial claims, including some proven factual inaccuracies.
In one instance, Harry described King Henry VI, who founded the princely school Eton College, as his “great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather”.
However, the alleged ancestor’s lineage ended in 1471 when his only son, Edward of Westminster, was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury aged 17 – making it impossible for Prince Harry to be his descendant.
Elsewhere in the book, Harry describes in great detail the “bright and warm” weather on the day at Eton College when he took the dreaded “phone call” to say the Queen Mother had died in March 2002.
However, news reports, as well as a statement from King Charles’ spokeswoman at the time, indicate that Prince Harry was indeed skiing in Switzerland when the Queen Mother died. Harry was photographed returning to the UK a day later after the news was made public and Charles was confirmed to have received it.
In Spare, Harry wrote: ‘While at university I took a phone call at Eton. I wish I could remember whose voice was on the other end; that of a courtier, I believe. I remember it was just before Easter, the weather was bright and warm light slanting through my window filled with vibrant colors. Your Royal Highness the Queen Mother has died.”
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But back in 2002, Buckingham Palace issued the following statement: “It is with the greatest sadness that the Queen has requested that the following announcement be made immediately: Your beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth, died peacefully in her sleep this afternoon.
The spokeswoman for the then-Prince of Wales later that day issued a statement from Klosters, where he was staying with his two sons, adding: “He [Charles] is devastated. His only wish is to get home as soon as possible.”
Prince Harry was even hired by retailer TK Maxx after he claimed he was ‘particularly fond’ of their ‘annual sale’ – only for a company spokesman to tell Express.co.uk: ‘While we’re delighted at Prince Harry a great one fan, we thought we should explain that we don’t actually do sales. Instead, we offer great value, style and savings all year round.”
The prince also claimed to have received an Xbox as a final birthday present from Princess Diana before she died in 1997, although the console wasn’t released until 2001, nor was it announced until 2000.
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