The Duke of Sussex once made a brutal comment about his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince Harry criticised his uncle in his memoir Spare (Image: Martin Meissner – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry may not have publicly commented on his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s latest scandals, but he has made his feelings on his disgraced uncle clear before. Over the last few days, Andrew has made front pages again for all the wrong reasons.
This is because he has appeared in more Epstein files released just days ago, which included emails and photographs, with one photo appearing to show the former duke on all fours leaning over a fully-dressed woman lying on the floor. Andrew has not commented on the latest release of emails and photographs where he is mentioned, however he has previously denied any wrongdoing and accusations surrounding his former friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
While this may be the case, scandals such as this one have strained relationships between Andrew and his royal relatives, and it appears this includes the relationship he had with Prince Harry.
This is because in Harry’s bombshell 2023 memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex tears apart his uncle, who at the time had already been involved in a number of scandals surrounding his friendship with Epstein.
Harry, 41, wrote in Spare how he told his wife Meghan Markle he didn’t believe his security would be removed, especially as Andrew still had his despite facing serious accusations, which Andrew has always denied.
The prince wrote: “Despite being involved in an embarrassing scandal, accused of having sexually abused a young woman, nobody had suggested removing his (Andrew’s) security.
He went on to argue that the disparity was impossible to ignore and deeply hurtful, reinforcing his belief that the institution applied its rules selectively. In Harry’s view, the decision to strip him and Meghan of taxpayer-funded protection shortly after they stepped back as senior royals sent a clear message about where they stood within the family hierarchy.
In Spare, Harry suggested that Andrew’s continued security detail symbolised everything he found broken about the system he was born into. He portrayed his uncle as a liability whose actions had damaged the monarchy’s reputation, yet who was still being shielded by palace machinery. By contrast, Harry felt he was being punished for choosing a different life, despite having served in the military and facing credible security threats.
The comments were widely interpreted as one of the most direct and cutting criticisms Harry has ever made of a senior royal, particularly given Andrew’s fall from grace following his infamous BBC Newsnight interview in 2019 and his subsequent withdrawal from public duties. While Harry stopped short of commenting on the legal details of the allegations against Andrew, his words left little doubt about his moral judgment of the situation.
Royal commentators at the time noted that Harry’s remarks likely deepened existing rifts within the family, especially as they touched on sensitive issues of privilege, accountability and public trust. Buckingham Palace did not publicly respond to the claims made in Spare, maintaining its long-standing policy of not commenting on personal family matters or ongoing controversies.
As Andrew once again finds himself under intense scrutiny following the release of additional Epstein-related material, Harry’s past comments have resurfaced, reminding many readers just how blunt the Duke of Sussex was willing to be about his own relatives. Whether or not Harry chooses to speak again, his memoir has already ensured that his criticism of his uncle — and of the royal system that protected him — remains part of the public record.