Prince Harry Denies Claims He Punched Prince Andrew at Royal Gathering
Prince Harry is setting the record straight.
After a new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, alleged that Harry and Prince Andrew got into a physical altercation at a 2013 family gathering after Andrew made a remark about Meghan Markle behind Harry’s back, the Duke of Sussex denied the claims.
“I can confirm neither of those things are true,” a spokesperson for Harry told People in an August 2 statement. “Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make those comments about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry.”
According to an excerpt of Andrew Lowni’s book—a joint biography of Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, which portrays him as a largely controversial figure—published in the Daily Mail, the “heated argument” stemmed from “something Andrew said behind Harry’s back.”
Within moments, the biography alleged that “punches were thrown,” leaving Andrew with a bloody nose. The author also went on to claim that Andrew privately suggested to Harry that his relationship with Meghan wouldn’t last because she was, as he put it, an “opportunist.”
While Harry denied that he and Andrew ever got into a physical fight, the royal family has had its fair share of rifts since he and Meghan—who share kids Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4—decided to distance themselves from the royal family in 2020 and move to Montecito, Calif.
"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple wrote on Instagram in January 2020. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."
Tensions only rose when the 40-year-old recently told the BBC that his dad King Charles III refused to talk to them amid their legal battle with the U.K. government to restore security protection.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he told the outlet in May. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much time my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
For more recent royal news, keep reading…
The son of Princess Anne and her ex-husband Mark Phillips shared that he was engaged to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling on Aug. 1 after more than a year of dating.
"Both families were informed jointly of the announcement," the couple's spokesperson said in a statement to Hello! at the time, "and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement."
One day before her 78th birthday, the royal received the title of Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom from the Royal Navy.
Camilla is the first woman to hold the honorary title, which can only be appointed by the sovereignin this case, her husband King Charles III—on the nomination of the First Sea Lord, who is currently Sir Gwyn Jenkins.
The Princess of Wales pulled out of a planned appearance at the Royal Ascot hours before she was set to return to the annual horse race alongside, Kensington Palace confirmed to NBC News.
According to the palace, Kate was disappointed to have to miss the event but is still figuring out the right balance for herself when it comes to completing public engagements following her cancer battle.
Over one year after the High Court denied additional security protection through the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, Prince Harry’s legal fight ended when the courts dismissed the case May 2.
His and Meghan Markle’s security was lessened after they stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2021 and moved to the United States. However, in the years that followed, Harry had requested security while visiting the U.K.
The Duke of Sussex told the BBC May 2 that he was “devastated” about losing his legal battle. He emphasized, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
Harry told the BBC May 2 that his father King Charles III won’t speak to him “because of this security stuff,” but added that “it would be nice to reconcile.”
The Duke of Sussex, who shares kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with Meghan, said that he would love to reconnect with his family. But the ball is in his dad’s court.
“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he said. “It’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
“There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands, ultimately this whole thing could be resolved through him,” Harry added. “Not necessarily by intervening but by stepping aside and allowing the experts to do what is necessary and to carry on.”
Despite the years of conflict, he’s waving the white flag in hopes of reconciliation. He added, “Life is precious, I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
Over one year after King Charles shared his cancer diagnosis, he wrote April 29 that his health journey and cancer treatment are experiences that bring “into sharp focus the very best of humanity."
"Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones," Charles wrote in the booklet for the reception to provide resources for those with cancer. “But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity."
He also thanked healthcare workers who helped him amid his journey, adding, “It has certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work undertaken by the remarkable organisations and individuals gathered here this evening, many of whom I have known, visited and supported over the years.”
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis did not attend the royal family’s annual Easter service at St George's Chapel in Windsor April 20.
While King Charles III and Queen Camilla celebrated with the rest of the royal family, William and Kate decided to spend the weekend at their Norfolk country home with their kids, multiple outlets reported.
Their absence marked the second Easter they skipped, with the 2024 holiday taking place a week after the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis.
Jason Knauf was announced as the new CEO of Prince William’s organization, The Earthshot Prize, April 15. He shared a statement on the website that he was looking forward to “working with our exceptional team and incredible Earthshot community to advance our mission of urgent optimism for our planet.”
His promotion came nearly seven years after he made a complaint against Meghan Markle, accusing her of bullying two personal assistants and seeking “to undermine” a third staff member. A spokesperson for the Sussexes denied the allegations and told The Times that the rumors were part of a “calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.”
Buckingham Palace investigated the allegations and the case was wrapped up in 2022 without any findings made public.
William and Kate’s eldest son George attended a soccer match in Paris alongside his dad April 7.
The father-son duo were all smiles at the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final game as the Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa FC faced off at the Parc des Princes stadium.
Graham Craker—who acted as a bodyguard for the royal family, including Prince Harry and Prince William—died at the age of 77 in April.
Craker was notably with the boys when they learned their mother, Princess Diana, had died and he participated in her funeral services.
On the latter, Craker told The New York Post in 2017, "I was standing at the rear of the hearse and William looked up and acknowledged me. I looked toward him and nodded. William was comforted that I was with his mum on her final journey.”
Hugh Grosvenor, who is King Charles III’s godson, and his wife Olivia Grosvenor announced March 12 that she is pregnant with their first baby.
“The duchess is expecting a baby in the summer,” a spokesperson told The Telegraph. “The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together.”
Prince Frederik—the son of Prince Robert and his wife Princess Julie—died March 1 at 22 years old after a battle with PolG mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic disorder.
"Frederik knows that he is my Superhero, as he is to all of our family, and to so very many good friends and now in great part thanks to his PolG Foundation, to so very many people the world over," Robert said in a statement. "Part of his superpower was his ability to inspire and to lead by example."
The Duke of Sussex reached a settlement with News Group Newspapers—which is responsible for The Sun as well as the now defunct News of the World—on Jan. 22 after suing the organization in 2019 over alleged unlawful actions on the part of journalists and private investigators working for the newspapers to obtain information on the royal family.
The deal included the company paying "substantial damages," as well as issuing a "full and unequivocal apology" to Harry and public acknowledgement of "the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales,” per NBC News.
The Princess of Wales announced on Jan. 14 that she's in remission after complete cancer treatments.
"It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," she wrote in a message on X, formerly Twitter, Jan. 14. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal."
"I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead," she continued. "There is much to look forward to."
The Duchess of Sussex mourned the death of her beloved rescue beagle, who she adopted in 2015 before meeting husband Prince Harry.
She wrote on Instagram Jan. 7, "I have cried too many tears to count - the type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they’re not there. But they are. And that’s okay too."
"Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy," Meghan added. "You filled my life in ways you’ll never know."
Edward "Ed" Pettifer—stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry's former nanny Alexandra Pettifer, also known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke—was one of the victims of the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.
"Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer," William said in a message posted on Kate Middleton's Instagram Stories Jan. 4. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack."
The Suits alum—who shut down her personal social media accounts shortly before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry—debuted a solo Instagram page on Jan. 1.
A day later, she announced a new Netflix series titled With Love, Meghan, which "reimagines the genre of lifestyle programming, blending practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old," according to a press release.
Kate and William stepped out for a rare outing with kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte in honor of Wimbledon in June 2025.
"A pleasure to be back in SW19 for the finals of this year’s @wimbledon Championships this weekend," the family wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "Congratulations again to @iga.swiatek and @janniksin on your wins! And a huge thank you to everybody involved in making the tournament so special."
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