Prince Harry Is In “Quite a Painful Place” Because of Comments about Princess Kate in ‘Spare,’ Royal Author Says

Prince Harry laid it all out on the table in his January 2023 memoir, Spare—including comments about the sister-in-law he was once so close to, the Princess of Wales (or Kate Middleton, to the uninitiated). 

Harry once saw Kate more as the sister he never had than any type of in-law, but Spare really didn’t do Harry any favors in terms of relations with members of the royal family—Kate included. In particular, Harry reiterated claims that Kate made Meghan Markle cry in the leadup to Harry and Meghan’s May 2018 wedding (and not the other way around), and in Spare Harry also alleged that Kate “encouraged Harry to wear his infamous Nazi Halloween costume,” Us Weekly reports.

“Kate feels that Harry’s actions are atrocious,” a source told Us Weekly when the tell-all came out. “She is appalled at him for dragging her name through the dirt and is finding it hard to forgive.”

Cancer is, if nothing else, a great leveler—whether you’re rich, famous, or royal, it doesn’t discriminate. Royal author Dr. Tessa Dunlop—who wrote Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage, and Monarchy—said of Harry “When you do discover that your sister-in-law has cancer and you’ve written stuff that can’t be retracted, that’s quite a painful place to be in,” she said. “I’m not saying it isn’t.” She added “The big C—it’s kind of untouchable. When that comes creeping in the door, that just reframes everything.” 

In addition to Kate’s cancer diagnosis, Harry’s father, King Charles, and aunt Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, have also been diagnosed with cancer in what can only be described as a tumultuous year so far for the royal family. Within hours of Charles’ cancer diagnosis being made public on February 5, Harry was on a plane for a transatlantic flight to the U.K. to see his father face-to-face; after Kate’s own announcement of her health condition on March 22, Harry and Meghan said in a statement about the Princess of Wales “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

Though it’s unknown how much Harry and Kate communicate, according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Charles and Kate—both battling cancer—“have been getting closer and closer over the years,” Bond said, per The Sun. “He’s had a lot of admiration for her, even before they both became ill, but adversity always has the effect of binding people so much closer together.” 

Bond continued that “Their illnesses are an unbelievable and shocking coincidence, so for them to have each other as a shoulder to lean on must be beneficial for both of them as they go through this difficult time together. I imagine they are possibly checking in and seeing how one another is doing and what effect the treatment is having on them with frequent calls or video messages. They are seeking solace and comfort from one another.” She added “It must be comforting to know that they truly are not alone and can offer genuine and heartfelt support to one another in a way no one else in the family really can.”