In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, alleges that his father King Charles made a savage comment to his mother, Princess Diana, shortly after he was born in 1984

Prince Harry has claimed that King Charles made a brutal comment to Princess Diana following his birth, and told him that his ‘work was done.’

In his book, Spare, which was released on 10 January 2023 and ghostwritten by J. R. Moehringer, the Duke of Sussex asserted that King Charles III told Princess Diana that Harry was a “spare” to him. He also told his late wife that his work was “done” right after Harry’s birth in 1984.

The alleged quote refers to the British royal family’s line of succession, with Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, being first in line to the throne and therefore the “heir apparent.” Prince Harry wrote in the book that on the day he was born, his dad celebrated the “wonderful” news by telling Diana, “Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare — my work is done.”

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales at home in Kensington Palace with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex alleged that King Charles made a savage comment to Princess Diana shortly after he was born ( 


Image:
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

And now that William has married Kate Middleton and welcomed three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — Harry is now fifth in line to the throne. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and have since moved to California with son Archie and daughter Lilibet.

However, since the pair stepped down as working royals, their relationship with the rest of the Firm has been strained. Tensions have, over the years, been reported as high between Harry and his brother, as well as with Charles.

Since Spare was published in January 2023, Harry has briefly seen his family, for example at the Queen’s funeral and at King Charles’s Coronation.