Prince Harry has issued a legal threat against the Daily Mail following the serialization of a new royal biography that alleges he engaged in a physical altercation with Prince Andrew and heard disparaging remarks about Meghan Markle from his uncle. A legal letter from Harry's counsel has been sent to the newspaper, a spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek, describing the allegations as "gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory."
The claims originate from Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by author Andrew Lownie. In a passage from the book, Lownie asserts that in 2013 "Harry and Andrew had got into a heated argument, and punches were thrown over something Andrew said behind Harry's back." He adds, "Harry got the better of Andrew by all accounts, leaving him with a bloody nose before the fight was broken up."
Lownie's book further alleges that Prince Andrew told Harry his marriage to Meghan "would not last more than a month," accused him of going "bonkers," and called Meghan an "opportunist." The book claims Harry later told Prince William he "hated Andrew." Extracts were published Saturday by the Daily Mail, triggering immediate denial from the Duke of Sussex's office.
"I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry," Harry's team said in a statement also shared with Newsweek.
A spokesperson reiterated the denial to The Daily Telegraph, underscoring the seriousness with which Harry views the allegations, even though no formal lawsuit has yet been filed. Should the legal letter escalate into litigation, it would mark a significant return to an aggressive media strategy that Harry had appeared to abandon after several court cases between 2019 and 2022.
Lownie's biography portrays long-standing friction between Prince Andrew and his nephews, citing unnamed sources who say Andrew was rude to the Princess of Wales and that Prince William is allegedly seeking to "evict" Andrew from Royal Lodge, the Windsor residence he leases from the Crown Estate.
The accusations come in the wake of revelations in Harry's own memoir Spare, where he disclosed a violent encounter with his brother William over Meghan Markle. "(William) called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor," Harry wrote. "I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me."
William, according to the book, apologized shortly after the incident but asked Harry not to tell Meghan. "You mean that you attacked me?" Harry said. "I didn't attack you, Harold," William allegedly responded.
