The majority of people disagree with this but if they actually read what Harry has said about other members of the RF in Spare, and ignore what was said in all of the many articles written about the book, or listen to media interviews about what was written, then they’d see he portrayed his family in a fairly reasonable way tbh.
None of the portrayals were particularly harsh. Nothing that would prevent a proper reconciliation imho. The press have a way of amplifying feuds for financial gain. And Harry was naieve about the public’s reaction to the book and how it would be quoted and spun, and he was outmanoeuvred in the hands of interviewers and broadcasters much more skilled than him, for huge royalties. Yes even Oprah wasn’t interviewing them out of the goodness of her heart.
I also think Harry had some justification for feeling hurt and discarded. And that his wife experienced bias because of her colour, her feminism, her profession, her independence and not least her nationality. It was two completely different worlds colliding.
It all blew up at a difficult time of transition for the RF. Prince Philip was gravely ill. The late Queen was still in control but perhaps stepping back. Charles was stepping forward but didn’t quite yet have the final say. The pandemic happened. No one was properly on top of things or leading and I think Harry and his wife fell through the cracks.
This is all speculation on my part but it’s reasonable to assume that Harry, having been brought up right in the heart of things, and being really skilled at his job and popular, with his mother’s ease with the public, thought his marriage would be the point where his supporting role would be recognised officially with a title perhaps, that he would receive a gift of a decent home or estate for him and his wife and his future family.
After all, his Uncle Andrew who did his job poorly and was subject to serious, sleazy, allegations, was accommodated in comfort in an enormous mansion on the Windsor estate? Surely Harry was deserving of at least the same respect?
But no, Harry, possibly still suffering the lingering prejudice against his mother, by Charles and Camilla, was humiliated in front of his wife by being offered a small “cottage” - small being a relative term in royal circles 😃 - and his role was unclear - and his wife, in his eyes, disrespected. Add in a few racist comments from family members and you can see how it all exploded.
A bright senior courtier could have foreseen the issue and had a word in various ears and headed all of this off at the pass. Instead of which, Harry, excited by the prospect of his marriage and full of hope for the future, but also being impulsive and easily hurt by yet again being put second, exploded at what he considered to be lack of respect, made demands and handled it all badly and went off in a huff.
And the RF handled it badly too. The interesting question though is why?
Was it all bad timing, the pandemic, Prince Philip’s decline and the late Queen’s diminishing control?
Or was it that KC wanted to support his son but had to once again put Camilla’s views ahead of his son?
Or was Harry’s fraternal relationship with William so poor that he and M were always going to be banished to “mouldy” Nottm cottage?
Who knows?
Let’s hope they can put it all behind them.
<PS I desperately need funds to refurbish our bathroom so if any royalty magazine or any publication needs a royal correspondent where facts don’t particularly matter, please could they drop me a line? 😉😂>