'The ball is in their court': Harry says he won't stay silent and refuses to commit to attending Charles' coronation

5 January 2023, 09:25 | Updated: 5 January 2023, 10:50

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Prince Harry has said the ball is in the Royal Family's court to repair their relationship as he refused to commit to attending King Charles' coronation in May.

Prince Harry says he won't stay silent in order to repair relations with his family.

His comments come ahead of two explosive interviews with ITV and CBS, and the release of his new memoir next week.

In a teaser trailer for the interview, Prince Harry said: "I don't know how staying silent is ever going to make things better."

Harry also said accusations he is "invading the privacy of his nearest and dearest" are inaccurate and come from people who "don't understand...who don't want to understand."

The Duke of Sussex has accused members of the royal family of planting stories about him and Meghan, including from his brother William's press office.

Duke of Sussex claims William physically attacked him in leaked extract of book

Asked if he would attend his father's coronation in May, Harry replied: "There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court.

"There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope they are willing to sit down and talk about it."

As well as ITV's trailer, extracts have leaked from his upcoming memoir Spare. In one leaked extract, Harry claims King Charles warned his sons Harry and William to behave and 'not make his final years a misery' after Prince Phillip's funeral in April 2021.

Harry recalls a tense meeting with William and Charles after the late Queen's husband in April 2021, according to The Guardian, which has obtained a copy of Spare ahead of its release next week.

In the meeting, Harry claims Charles stood between his two sons' flushed faces and said: "Please, boys - don't make my final years a misery".

In another leaked extract from the book, Harry claims Prince William attacked him and knocked him to the ground in an argument over his wife Meghan Markle. Harry said that William ripped his necklace and knocked him "to the floor".

The Duke of Sussex also claimed his older brother called Meghan "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive"."

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," he reportedly wrote in the new book.

He went on: "I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."The alleged incident took place in 2019 in Nottingham Cottage, when Harry and Meghan had moved in there.

William had come to the house to complain about the American actress, Harry claimed.