Pictures place Prince Harry in Switzerland when Queen Mother died – NOT Eton as he recalls

The reliability of Prince Harry’s memoirs has been called into question after ‘facts’ emerged about how he learned of the Queen Mother’s death that cannot be precise.

In his book, Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote in great detail about the call he received while at Eton, telling him that his great-grandmother had died on March 30, 2002.

He writes: ‘At Eton, while studying, I took the call. I wish I could remember whose voice it was on the other end; of a courtier, I think. I remember it was just before Easter, the weather was bright and warm, the light was coming in obliquely through my window, full of vivid colors.

But the resurfaced photographs appear to place the prince in Klosters, Switzerland, on the weekend the Queen Mother died.

Harry posed with his brother William and father Charles on a media call on March 29, having recently overcome a bout of glandular fever in time to hit the slopes.

It was his first public appearance after admitting to smoking cannabis and drinking underage, the BBC reported at the time.

Prince Harry reportedly told the assembled crowd that he had medical orders to ‘take it easy’ on the slopes, appearing jovial by all accounts.

The trio leaned against a rock, laughing and even hugging in the footage.

Three friends from Eton are said to have accompanied the children on the journey.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline: “It appears from the evidence that he was certainly at Klosters when the Queen Mother died.”

“This portrayal of being at Eton, ‘the bright warm weather, the slanting light… vivid colours’ is therefore inaccurate.”

Mr Fitzwilliams, quoting the Queen herself, noted that it is possible that “some memories may vary” but described this as “a serious mistake”.

‘Mistakes like this cast doubt on the veracity of other details. If you hire a ghostwriter and don’t check the facts correctly, here’s what can happen.

The book is so controversial that it cannot afford mistakes like this. Much of the appeal of the prose is in the descriptive passages. However, are there other inaccuracies? An error like this raises this question.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on March 30, 2002 which read: “The Queen, with the greatest sadness, has requested that the following announcement be made immediately: Her loving mother, Queen Elizabeth, died peacefully in her sleep this afternoon. .

“Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, had become increasingly frail in recent weeks following her severe cough and chest infection over Christmas.”

King Charles, the then-Prince of Wales, released a statement through his own spokesman later that day which revealed that he was at least still in Klosters.

It said: ‘He [Charles] he is devastated. His only wish is to get home as soon as possible.

A plane carrying Charles and his two children reportedly returned to the UK the next day, having received special permission from the Queen for the trio to travel together.

The apparent inconsistency has raised concerns among fans and critics alike, who have questioned whether her recollection of the rest of the memoirs can be trusted.

In Spare, Harry himself acknowledged that his memory suffered after his mother’s death, an issue that he attributed to being a defense mechanism.

Similarly, Harry wrote in his memoirs that he received an Xbox from his mother, Diana, in 1997 as a gift for his 13th birthday.

The first Xbox console wasn’t available for purchase until late 2001, leading to further questions about whether Harry might have received one several years earlier.

But others have given it the benefit of the doubt, noting that it’s likely simply referring to a different type of gaming device, like a PlayStation, which was first released in 1994.

The late Queen Elizabeth famously made a withering assessment of the Sussexes’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they claimed someone asked what color Archie’s skin might be.

Some 36 hours after the extraordinary interview, the Queen said she was “saddened by the claims” but “some memories may vary.”

The phrase is now synonymous with the couple, and much of the criticism surrounding Harry’s latest media blitz, and the memoir itself, revolves around whether the Duke of Sussex has accurately recalled the incidents.

It’s unclear where Harry’s relationship with his father stands after the bomb spate he revealed this week.

Sources say King Charles is saddened by the saga, but is unlikely to comment publicly on any of the points Harry has raised.

Harry, meanwhile, has said on multiple occasions that he is open to reconciling with his family, but there are conditions.

Speaking to ITV’s News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby, Harry said he would be open to reconciliation and even return to a partial royal role, on the condition that he could have ‘frank’ talks with his family that would be kept private. .

I don’t know if they’re watching this [interview] or not, but what they have to say to me and what I have to tell them will be in private, and I hope that I can continue like this,” he said, noting that he does not want “frank discussions [to] leak out’.

The comments have been labeled ironic given all the private moments Harry has shared in his memoir.

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