Lady Anne Glenconner, the former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret, told a reporter that Prince Harry’s childhood nanny described him as “born angry.” Barbara Barnes cared for the children of then-Prince Charles and his wife Lady Diana for five years and said Prince Harry was a problematic child but praised his brother Prince William.
Glenconner remains firm friends with members of the Royal family. During her interview, she compared Harry to the Queen’s popular late sister, Princess Margaret – who, like Harry, grew up as the younger sibling of the future Monarch. She stated that Margaret would have had many similar experiences to Harry, but she “would never have written a book like that. She was loyal.”
The former lady-in-waiting made those remarks when asked if she had read Harry’s memoir “Spare,” in which he describes life as the younger sibling of the heir to the throne. Ms. Glenconner confirmed she had not read the book.
Published in January 2023, “Spare” brought many Royal family secrets into the open. The Prince recounted a childhood of living in his brother’s shadow and the strict, regimented nature of life in the world’s most famous Royal household. The Prince also described meeting his American wife, Meghan Markle, and her impact on his view of the world.
The British public has largely turned its back on Harry because of the book, which is widely considered an unacceptable betrayal in a nation that highly values its Royal institutions. Once one of the family’s most popular members, Harry lost yet more support when he left Britain for California, participated in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, and accused the Royal family of racism.
Britain’s Royal family lives by a strict code of silence known as “never complain, never explain.” Harry’s exposure of life in the palaces was therefore unprecedented. The book’s title, “Spare,” describes the sibling of the future Monarch, who is a “spare” in case anything happens to the heir.
