Prince Harry is hitting back hard against salacious gossip. A new book claims the Duke of Sussex, now 40, threw punches at his uncle, Prince Andrew, over alleged slights against Meghan Markle, but Harry’s camp calls it pure fiction. Such tales of royal fisticuffs seem more suited to tabloid fantasies than palace reality.
The New York Post reported that over a decade ago, Andrew Lownie’s book “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York” alleges that Harry and Andrew clashed in a heated row.
The book claims Andrew, Duke of York, branded Meghan, then a 43-year-old former “Suits” actress, an “opportunist” behind Harry’s back, sparking a brawl that left Andrew with a bloody nose. Harry’s representative swiftly denied that any punches were thrown or comments made.
“I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight,” Harry’s spokesperson told The Post. The claim that Andrew insulted Meghan to Harry’s face is equally baseless, they insist. This smells like a desperate attempt to stir drama where none exists.
The book’s accusations aren’t just spicy—they’re defamatory, says Harry’s team. They slammed Lownie’s work for “gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks.” Truth seems to be the first casualty in this literary ambush on the royals.
Harry and Meghan, married since 2018, walked away from royal duties in 2020. They’ve since settled in Montecito, California, raising their kids, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4. Their departure left a frosty divide with the royal family, one that gossip like this only widens.
The Sussexes’ estrangement from the royals has dragged on for over five years. Yet, Harry’s recent moves suggest he’s trying to mend fences. Offering to share his schedule with Buckingham and Kensington Palaces sounds like a peace offering, not a prelude to a brawl.
“Harry has shifted into a new way of thinking,” a source told the Daily Mail. The source added that Harry’s household agreed to share a “grid” of his activities with the palaces to promote transparency. But don’t hold your breath—rebuilding trust with a skeptical family takes more than a shared calendar.
King Charles, however, isn’t rolling out the welcome mat. Sources say he’s “cautious and wary” of Harry’s overtures. After years of public spats and tell-all interviews, who can blame him for keeping his guard up?
Harry’s aides recently met with the monarch’s communications secretary in London. The meeting hints at quiet diplomacy behind closed doors. Still, whispered rumors of fistfights don’t exactly scream “family unity.”
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew has his battles to fight. He recently secured his place at the Royal Lodge after a yearslong struggle. That victory might feel hollow with these wild allegations now dogging him.
The book’s timing is curious, dropping as Harry pushes for reconciliation. Lownie’s tale of a bloody-nosed Andrew feels like a calculated jab to keep the royal rift in the headlines. It’s a tired tactic—dredge up old grudges to sell books.
Harry’s spokesperson didn’t mince words, calling the claims “damaging and defamatory.” That’s a polite way of saying the book’s story is nonsense. The royal family’s real drama needs no embellishment from fiction writers.
Harry and Meghan haven’t let rumors slow them down. They stepped out at the 2024 ESPY Awards in Hollywood on July 11, 2024, looking every bit the polished couple. Their focus seems more on their California life than palace gossip.
Harry also made a solo trip to London for a Court of Appeal hearing on April 9, 2025, addressing his security concerns. It’s a reminder that his royal ties, strained as they are, still pull him back to the U.K. But punches thrown? That’s a stretch too far.
