Prince Harry has rejected the suggestion that his memoir Spare and the subsequent Netflix documentary were intended as acts of retaliation against the Royal Family.

Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, the Duke of Sussex insisted that both projects were designed to correct existing narratives rather than to settle personal scores.

In an interview with The Guardian in Kyiv, Harry explained that the book was conceived as a response to what he described as one-sided portrayals of his life and relationships within the monarchy.

“The book was a series of corrections to stories already out there,” he declared.

While he acknowledged that the revelations had unsettled some observers, he argued that his approach was measured and that he had not, in his words, “aired dirty laundry in public.” He added that his conscience remained “clear” regarding the decision to publish.

The Duke’s remarks also carried a broader message about reconciliation. Without naming his brother, Prince William, he remarked that “you cannot have reconciliation before you have truth,” an observation interpreted as a signal that disputes within the Royal Family remain unresolved.

Focus on Repairing Family Relationships

The intervention came shortly after Harry met his father, King Charles III, in a private meeting lasting less than an hour. It marked the first occasion in 19 months that the two had seen one another.

Harry suggested that his attention over the coming year would be concentrated on restoring his relationship with the King, describing this as a personal priority.

Reports indicate that the monarch is also eager to re-establish contact with his son and spend time with grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, whom he has not seen for three years.

Sources close to the Duke suggest that he recognises the need to reset ties with his family and with the British public, although any return to full-time royal duties appears unlikely.

His supporters argue that his recent visit to the United Kingdom, combined with four days of private time with relatives, may signal the beginning of a more constructive relationship within the wider family.

Harry also disclosed that his wife, Meghan Markle, had encouraged him to remain committed to honesty as the foundation of his public statements. Her advice, he said, was to “just stick to the truth.”

This perspective, he maintained, guided his account in Spare, which explored personal struggles, mental health challenges, and episodes of conflict within the royal household.

Upon its release in January 2023, Spare broke publishing records to become the fastest-selling non-fiction title in the United Kingdom.

Its content included descriptions of a physical altercation with his brother, accounts of drug use, and criticisms of his father’s priorities.

The book, coupled with the Netflix series, sparked widespread debate about privacy, loyalty, and the role of the monarchy in public life.

Prince Harry‘s most recent remarks aim to reframe those disclosures as part of a wider call for accountability rather than as acts of revenge.

His comments in Ukraine, alongside his ongoing work with veterans and injured service personnel, suggest that he wishes to balance personal reflection with public service.

Whether this approach will ease tensions within the Royal Family remains uncertain, but his insistence on “truth before reconciliation” makes clear that substantive healing will require more than symbolic gestures.