By Isabella Torregiani
12:55pm PST, Feb 26, 2026
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In his new book,
William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story,
The Mirror's royal editor
Russell Myers shares for the first time how insiders questioned
Prince Harry's bombshell allegations in
Spare.
One of the most shocking claims in Harry's memoir was that he and
Prince William had a physical confrontation over Meghan Markle's reportedly "difficult" and "abrasive" treatment of staff.
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According to
Prince Harry, the altercation occurred at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace, where
Prince William allegedly grabbed him by the collar, knocked him to the floor, ripped his necklace and caused a dog bowl beneath him to break.
While William has stayed silent on the allegations, the biography quotes a source saying, "It was a cheap shot [from Harry] to present such an argument. Tensions were running very high, and yes, there certainly were cross words exchanged that on reflection were regrettable, but the prince [William] is adamant there was no physical violence."
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In
Spare,
Prince Harry also alleged that
Prince William helped spread tabloid narratives about Meghan Markle, which he claimed sparked the confrontation.
However, a source in the book said staff had been "ground down" by the Sussexes, noting, "It wasn't peddling a tabloid narrative to stick up for staff that were deeply unhappy to the point of walking away or having their mental health being affected."
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The new biography also sheds light on the role the Princess of Wales played in the family's disputes.
It reveals that
Kate Middleton was less concerned than
Prince William about persuading
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to remain in royal life, seeing the Duke of Sussex's departure as "inevitable."
The book also details that Catherine eventually accepted she "could do no more to bring the brothers together," despite having once been a "voice of reason" during the breakdown of their relationship.
