Prince Harry Interviews: Main Points

File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
TT
20

Prince Harry Interviews: Main Points

File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)

Here are the main points from Prince Harry's first two television interviews to publicize his new autobiography "Spare", aired on Sunday.

- On why he wrote the book -Harry told Britain's ITV channel he had endured "38 years... of intentional spin and distortion".

He said he had "no intention" of harming anyone in his family by releasing the book.

But he said he needed to speak out as "certain members have decided to get in bed with the devil to rehabilitate their image", at his and his family's expense.

- On his mother's funeral -Harry recalled walking behind Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral in 1997, when he was aged just 12.

"The bridles chinking, you know, going down The Mall, the hooves going down the concrete and the occasional... gravel underneath the foot and the wails from the crowd," he recalled.

"But otherwise complete silence is something that will stick with me forever."

- On Diana's death -Harry said he read the secret government file into Diana's death, redacted by his private secretary of the most graphic descriptions and photographs of the scene.

He said he had driven as an adult through the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, where she died in a car crash.

"There's a lot of things that are unexplained," he said.

"But I've been asked before whether I want to open up a, you know, another inquiry. I don't really see the point at this stage."

In an interview aired later on America's CBS, Harry said that for "many years" part of him believed his mother had just disappeared and that "she would call us and we would go and join her."

- On his relationship with William -Harry spoke of his long-standing sibling rivalry with Prince William, how they used to fight as boys, how William ignored him at school and even tried to get him to shave off his beard before his wedding to Meghan.

He accused William of later swallowing the British tabloid media portrayal of Meghan, leading on one occasion to William physically attacking him.

Harry said that, had he not been having therapy after the trauma of his childhood, he would have fought back.

Harry told CBS he and William were not currently in touch, nor had he spoken to his father "for quite a while."

- On William, Kate and Meghan -Harry said William and Kate were fans of the US legal drama "Suits" in which Meghan starred.

But he said he thought they were not expecting him to get involved with someone like Meghan and "there was a lot stereotyping" of her as a biracial, divorced American actress.

That caused "a bit of a barrier" to welcoming her to the family, he said.

Harry stressed though that William never tried to dissuade him from marrying Meghan.

- On claims of royal racism -Harry denied he or Meghan had accused the royal family of racism but said there was unconscious bias at the palace which still needed to be addressed.

A recent incident in which a senior courtier, Susan Hussey, repeatedly asked a black British charity worker, Ngozi Fulani, where she was "really from" was an example of that, he said.

Harry said in the CBS interview: "Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan."

- On the media -Harry spoke at length about the British tabloid press, accusing it of complicity and collusion with the palace, as well as racism, cronyism and duplicity.

He suggested the negative coverage he and Meghan had suffered was a result of his legal claims for alleged phone hacking against three British newspapers.

The wider aim of the claims, he said, had been to rein in tabloid excesses.

- On what he wants to achieve -Harry said he believed "100 percent" he could reconcile with his family and that could have a "ripple effect across the world".

But he conceded that his father King Charles III and his brother were unlikely to read his book or watch the interview.

- On the future -Harry said he was now "in such a good headspace" to deal with any tricky conversations with his family.

"It's been hard, I'm not going to lie," he said of the last few years, but added: "The reality is I've never been happier."



Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
TT
20

Beyonce Delivers a Rousing Kickoff to Her 'Cowboy Carter' Tour

Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Beyonce, shown here performing with her daughter Blue Ivy during an NFL game on Christmas Day 2024, is the artist with the most Grammys ever. Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Singer Beyonce launched her "Cowboy Carter" stadium tour on Monday, rolling through "Texas Hold 'Em" and other country-inspired hits and sharing the stage with her two daughters.

Beyonce opened the nearly three-hour show at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles with "American Requiem," appearing in an all-white cowboy outfit with long fringe on the sleeves as dancers in red performed around her, Reuters said.

For her cover of Dolly Parton classic "Jolene," Beyonce sat on a lighted horseshoe that floated above the crowd. She rode a gold mechanical bull for "Tyrant" and flew through the air in a red car while holding an American flag for "16 Carriages."

Beyonce's 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, joined the backup dancers for several songs, including "Ya Ya" and "America Has a Problem." She strutted down a long runway to lead a dance to "Deja Vu," flipping her hair as she turned to walk back.

Seven-year-old Rumi Carter appeared on stage while Beyonce performed the lullaby "Protector." She waved both hands to the crowd and turned around to give her mom a hug.

"Cowboy Carter" earned Beyonce her first album of the year Grammy in February. It was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture.

"I want to thank all of those who came before me that allowed me to be on this stage today," Beyonce said at Monday's show. "I want to thank you my fans for allowing me to make this album. Thank you for giving me the creative liberty to challenge myself."

Beyonce also performed hits including "Formation,Cuff It" and "Crazy in Love" from previous albums.

The tour, called the Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour, is scheduled to run through July in the US and Europe.

Many fans went all in on the cowboy theme, wearing Western hats, cowboy boots and rhinestone-studded denim. Beyonce thanked the crowd before ending with the song "Amen."

"I feel so overwhelmed," Beyonce said.