A new biography alleging that Prince Harry punched Prince Andrew during a private family argument has triggered an escalating dispute inside the British royal orbit, prompting the Duke of Sussex to issue a categorical denial and launch legal action. The claims surfaced in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which asserts that a 2013 confrontation left Andrew with a bloody nose following remarks he allegedly made about Meghan Markle.
The allegation, published after excerpts circulated widely through international media, arrives at a time when Prince Harry has publicly expressed openness to reconciliation with his family. Instead, the biography has intensified scrutiny of long-running tensions and introduced a new line of conflict between competing narratives of what happened behind palace walls.
According to reporting from The Times of India, the book states that Andrew insulted Harry during a royal party, calling him a coward and predicting that his future marriage to Meghan would collapse in a month. The biography further claims Andrew dismissed Meghan as an opportunist, described Harry as "bonkers," and warned him that marrying her would be the "biggest mistake" of his life. The author alleges that when Harry confronted his uncle, he "called Andrew a coward to his face," triggering an argument that ended with Andrew's nose bloodied.
Prince Harry's team issued an unambiguous rebuttal within hours of the claims appearing in print. In a statement to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: "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." The couple also sent a legal letter to the Daily Mail, which had published portions of the biography. Their representatives called the allegations "gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks."
The sharp response underscores the stakes for the Sussexes, who have spent the past year attempting to stabilize their public narrative while navigating strained relationships within the family. The legal intervention signals that Harry intends to shut down any suggestion of violent behavior, particularly one tied to personal criticisms involving Meghan.
The biography situates the alleged altercation within a broader argument about the York family's decline following Prince Andrew's association with Jeffrey Epstein. The Times of India notes that while Andrew has denied wrongdoing, he settled a civil case with Virginia Giuffre and lost his military and royal titles. The book uses this backdrop to depict Andrew as an embattled figure whose position within the family has long been fragile.
It also claims that Harry and Prince William maintained a strained relationship with their uncle for years. According to the biography, Andrew allegedly made disparaging remarks about Catherine, Princess of Wales, while William reportedly disliked Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. The book suggests senior royals believed King Charles would eventually remove Andrew and Ferguson from the Royal Lodge; it further asserts William would be certain to do so once he becomes king.
The resurfacing of these allegations coincides with Harry's public statements emphasizing forgiveness and a desire to improve relations with his father and brother. He previously told the BBC that he had forgiven his family and hoped for future healing. Yet the publication of a story involving a supposed physical altercation-one he says never occurred-complicates efforts to rebuild trust.
