‘He wanted me to hit him back’: Prince Harry claims he saw ‘red mist’ in Prince William
Prince Harry has said he saw a “red mist” in Prince William during an argument between them, claiming his brother “wanted me to hit him back, but I chose not to”.
In a new trailer for ITV’s forthcoming interview with the Duke of Sussex, he recounts an altercation with his brother.
“What was different here was the level of frustration, and I talk about the red mist that I had for so many years, and I saw this red mist in him,” he says.
“He wanted me to hit him back, but I chose not to.”
The duke describes the incident in his much-anticipated memoir, Spare.
It is due to be released next week but Sky News obtained a copy after it was accidentally put out for sale early in Spain.
In the book, Prince Harry makes several jaw-dropping allegations about the Royal Family, along with revelations about his own life, including his use of cocaine, how he was told about his mother’s car accident and the moment he lost his virginity.
In the clip, the duke is asked about the drug use he describes in the book.
Interviewer Tom Bradby says: “There’s a fair amount of drugs. Marijuana, magic mushrooms, cocaine. I mean, that’s going to surprise people.”
The duke says he believes it is “important to acknowledge”.
Read more:
Harry’s memoir – here’s what you need to know
How did William and Harry’s relationship break down?
‘My dear son, mum has had a car accident’
He also repeats his desire to reconcile with his brother and father, the King.
“I want reconciliation. But, first, there needs to be some accountability,” he says.
“The truth, supposedly, at the moment, has been there’s only one side of the story, right?
“But, there’s two sides to every story.”
Prince William (left), King Charles III and Prince Harry in 2000
‘I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan’
In a clip released by CBS ahead of the 60 Minutes interview in the US, also being released on Sunday, Prince Harry says he was bigoted before his relationship with Meghan, targeting the press for the treatment of his wife.
He says: “Put it this way, I didn’t see what I now see.
“What Meghan had to go through was similar in some part to what [Princess] Kate and what Camilla, [Queen Consort,] went through – very different circumstances.
“But then you add in the race element, which was what the press– British press jumped on straight away. I went into this incredibly naïve. I had no idea the British press were so bigoted. Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan.”
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Prince Harry says: ‘I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan’
In another section of the duke’s memoir, he describes being in Paris at the age of 23 and asking a driver to take him through the Pont de l’Alma tunnel at the same speed as the car carrying his mother, Princess Diana, when it crashed in August 1997.
“I told myself I was only doing it to close that chapter, but it was not true,” the duke says.
Adding that the drive was a “terrible idea”, he says there is “no reason anyone should ever die inside the tunnel”.
“Deep down, what I was hoping to feel in that tunnel was what I had felt when JLP [a former palace press secretary] had given me the police reports; mistrust. Doubt. However, that was the night all doubts were dispelled. She’s dead, I thought. My God, she’s really gone forever.”
The Pont de l’Alma tunnel
He says the next day, he called his brother to tell him what had happened, and the pair decided to drive through it together before heading to the rugby final.
It was after this that they spoke about their mother’s accident for the first time, Prince Harry claims, adding that they discussed issuing a statement and calling for the investigation into her death to be reopened.
Prince Harry and Prince William pictured during the Rugby World Cup final match in 2007
‘Why had those paparazzi got off lightly?’
The inquest into Diana’s death heard that her car was travelling at between 60mph and 65mph – around twice the 31mph (50kph) limit for the road – when it struck the 13th pillar of the westbound carriageway in the underpass.
“The final report was an insult. A load of nonsense plagued with factual errors, where logic was conspicuous by its absence,” the prince wrote.
“Especially the summary conclusion, that our mother’s driver was drunk and, as a result, that was the only cause of the accident.”
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The impact of Prince Harry’s memoir
He continues: “Even if the man had been drinking, even if he had been drunk, he wouldn’t have had any problem driving through such a short tunnel. Unless paparazzi were following him and dazzled him. Why had those paparazzi got off lightly?”
Prince Harry added that both he and Prince William agreed that they would call for a number of questions to be answered but “those who decided dissuaded” them from taking any action.
Sky News has approached Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace and both will not be commenting on the allegations.
‘I want a family, not an institution’
In an earlier teaser clip of the ITV interview, Prince Harry refuses to confirm whether he will attend his father’s coronation in May.
He is heard saying that he wants “a family, not an institution”.
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Making more extraordinary claims, he said: “They feel as though it is better to keep us somehow as the villains.
“I would like to have my father back. I would like to have my brother back.”
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
A special constable has been jailed after taking pictures on his phone from bodycam footage showing a dying man.
Former police volunteer William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after showing the photos of victim William Harty, 28, to a female colleague and storing them on his Snapchat account.
Mr Harty was found seriously injured in a residential street in Leicester on 25 October 2021 and Heggs had attended the scene, helping with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Mr Harty died in hospital a day later and the man responsible for his injuries, his brother-in-law Martin Casey, was subsequently convicted of his manslaughter.
Heggs showed the pictures he had taken of bodycam footage of Mr Harty’s body to a Leicestershire Police constable, who reported Heggs and said she did not like seeing blood.
His phone was seized and officers discovered other photographs and video clips of bodyworn footage of incidents Heggs had attended on duty, including of a knife seizure, use of baton and pepper spray, and a man with an injured hand receiving first aid.
He also took pictures of a police computer screen, showing details of crimes and suspects, without consent.
Heggs stored the materials in a Snapchat folder and disclosed graphic details – most of which were not in the public domain – about the injuries to a woman who was killed in a road traffic collision he had attended, to a friend on the social media platform.
Heggs was suspended from the force in November 2021 and resigned in October 2024 before pleading guilty to 11 computer misuse and data protection offences this March.
William Harty’s widow Mandy Casey. Pic: PA
‘He has traumatised me’
Mr Harty’s widow, Mandy Casey, said in a victim impact statement read to the court that Heggs “took (her) husband’s dignity when he was most vulnerable”.
“You don’t take someone’s dignity and pride from them on their deathbed.”
She continued: “When I found out special constable Heggs had done this, I just wanted to ask why. He has traumatised me. I feel I will never know if he showed them to others.”
Ms Casey said she was still scared that photos of her husband’s body might appear on social media.
She added that she had lost trust in the police.
Public trust in police ‘significantly undermined’
Judge Timothy Spencer told Heggs, who has autism and ADHD, that he was “probably too immature to be working as a police officer” as he handed down the sentence.
He said Heggs had received “extensive training”, including on the importance of data protection, and knew he should only share materials for “a genuine policing purpose”.
Heggs’s actions had “significantly undermined” public trust and confidence in police, according to the judge.
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Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “William Heggs abused the public’s trust in the office he held as a special police constable.
“He violated the dignity of the deceased victims for no apparent reason other than what could be considered personal fascination and to gain credibility among his peers.”
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