There’s no shortage of royal drama these days, but this latest rumor might just take the crown. Over the weekend, Prince Harry found himself forced to deny claims that he once got into a full-blown fistfight with his disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew, allegedly over Meghan Markle.
The bizarre accusation, which made the rounds after the Daily Mail published an excerpt from Prince Andrew Lownie’s upcoming book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, paints a picture of royal dysfunction straight out of a soap opera. According to the book, the supposed showdown took place in 2013, five years before Prince Harry even married Meghan Markle, and was sparked by harsh comments Andrew allegedly made about the future Duchess of Sussex.
In the excerpt, Lownie claims that Andrew allegedly called Meghan an “opportunist” and predicted her marriage to Harry wouldn’t last, words that supposedly traveled back to Harry and led to a “heated argument” that ended in thrown punches and a bloody royal nose. However, don’t cue the royal wrestling montage just yet.
Prince Harry Denies Getting Physical With Prince Andrew
Harry’s camp was quick to respond, squashing the headline-worthy tale with a flat-out denial. “I can confirm neither of those things are true,” a rep for Prince Harry told Us Weekly on Saturday. “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.”
It’s not surprising that such a salacious story would go viral, especially with all the baggage that follows both Harry and Andrew. Prince Andrew, of course, has been mostly MIA from public royal duties after his name got caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and the royal family has done everything they can to quietly sideline him.
Harry, meanwhile, has spent the last few years unpacking his royal baggage in very public ways — first in the couple’s 2021 sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, and then in his tell-all memoir Spare. The book famously alleged another royal scuffle, this one with Prince William over Meghan. In Spare, Harry claimed that William physically attacked him after calling Meghan “difficult” and “rude.”
Harry v. Andrew Never Happened
That fight, Harry said, left him on the floor, necklace broken and pride bruised. So while the public has grown used to stories of royal friction and the Sussexes certainly haven’t shied away from sharing their side, this latest tale of fists flying between Harry and Andrew seems to be pure fiction.
Still, the rumor’s timing couldn’t be more on-brand. The relationship between the Sussexes and the royal family remains frosty, even five years after their wedding and four years after they stepped back from royal life altogether. Now living in Montecito with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, Harry and Meghan continue to straddle two worlds. Hollywood glam and royal chaos.
As for the royal family, it seems the drama never really ends. Whether it’s a sibling scuffle or an uncle accused of dishing out insults, there’s always a new story trying to shake the palace walls. But for now, at least, we can officially cross Prince Harry vs. Prince Andrew off the list of royal scandals, maybe.
Lola Wheeler 
Nina Franklin 
