The Duke of Sussex’s highly-anticipated new memoir, titled Spare, was due for release to the world on 10 January, but a copy of it has now been leaked and exclusively obtained by The Guardian, which has revealed Prince Harry’s claims that he was involved in an altercation with his brother, prior to him stepping down as senior member of the Royal Family, alongside his now wife Meghan Markle.
The incident allegedly took place at Nottingham Cottage back in 2019, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were living there.
The altercation was said to have started when Prince William arrived and complained about Meghan.
In a leaked extract from the book, as reported by The Guardian, it is alleged that Prince William grabbed his brother and ripped his necklace off, before knocking him to the floor.
Prince Harry reportedly wrote in the book: “It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.
“I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
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According to the leaked extract of the book, Prince Harry writes that the altercation began when Prince William voiced his opinions about Meghan Markle, apparently calling her “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive” – which Harry deemed not rational.
The Duke of Sussex then claims they both started shouting at each other, and exchanged insults, before Prince William claimed he was trying to “help”.
“Are you serious? Help me? Sorry – is that what you call this? Helping me?,” Harry said, according to The Guardian’s copy.
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Prince Harry claims Prince William physically attacked him in new book / Credit: Bruce Detorres (via Flickr)
Prince Harry’s comment supposedly then angered Prince William, and the alleged altercation took place after he offered him a glass of water, with Harry adding that William urged him to hit back, before leaving and then returning “looking regretful and apologised”.
When he left again, Harry said he “turned and called back ‘You don’t need to tell Meg about this.'”
This revelation of the physical fight between the two brothers comes ahead of a new TV interview with Prince Harry due to air on ITV this Sunday.
Before the interview, which is titled Harry: The Interview, hits our screens and the nation tunes in to watch, the broadcaster released a 20-second trailer on Monday, in which Prince Harry could be seen openly talking about his wishes to “get my father back” and “have my brother back”, and saying that he “wants a family, not an institution”.
Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Emily Sergeant -
5th January 2023 
