After the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle had their own baby (and are reportedly thinking about another), an old rumour has once again come back to haunt the royal family. Since Harry was just a child there has been hearsay floating that Prince Harry’s REAL father is not Prince Charles.
WATCH: Prince Harry gets TOLD OFF by the Queen during photocall
Rumours about Harry’s suspected paternity aren’t uncommon – royals are always subject to wild and crazy conspiracies about their biological lineage. But is there any truth to this gossip? Who is Prince Harry’s father?
RELATED: Meghan Markle mummy-shamed for holding Archie ‘awkwardly’
Why Is This Even A Thing?
To understand why this rumour became so rampant, let’s take a quick look at Harry’s parents: Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
It’s a well-known fact that compared to other royal couples, their relationship always seemed to be on the rocks. Plenty of things strained their marriage; the couple had a thirteen year age gap between them, Diana’s headstrong personality often clashed with Charles, and media attention never let up.
That’s where the affairs came into play. Affairs were typical for this royal couple: Charles may have had a more significant expose with his relationship with Camilla-Parker Bowles, but Diana also had flings of her own. Diana had a long list of lovers linked to her over the years – most notable among them was James Hewitt.
So Who Is James Hewitt?
So what makes James Hewitt so rumour-worthy? For one, he was one of the few men linked to Diana that she confirmed she had an affair with. He was her riding instructor and had plenty of opportunities to spend some ‘quality time’ with her.
Any quick search of “James Hewitt images” online shows an uncanny facial resemblance between him and Prince Harry – images that Queen Elizabeth herself reportedly dismissed out of hand. But the facial features, the ginger hair, and the timing of Harry’s birth: all of them seem to point to the possibility that James Hewitt was his actual father.
So What’s The Deal?
In the absence of an official DNA test from Buckingham Palace, we must settle for first-hand accounts from those close to the royal family to figure out of that rumour is true. A quick read through these accounts (plus more digging online and in books) reveals the truth; that Prince Charles is Harry’s birth father, not James Hewitt. Here’s why:
A Little Math
First: the timing of Diana’s affair with James Hewitt. Harry was born in September 1984, which means he would’ve been conceived around Christmas of 1983. But according to Diana’s personal bodyguards, she didn’t meet James two years until after Harry was born, specifically around the summer of 1986. With that in mind, there’s no way that James could be Harry’s dad.
Something About The Face
Second, facial features are no guarantee that James and Harry are related. One reason they could look alike is both of them underwent the same military training – severe conditions that can change the facial features of anyone who’s been in the service for years. This phenomenon is quite common and has already been observed in militaries across the world.
Splitting Hairs
Finally, the ginger hair. That’s because of the Spencer side from Diana’s family – her elder sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale has the same red locks. Harry’s granddad Prince Phillip also had the same ginger features: when shown a picture of young Prince Phillip and Prince Harry side-by-side, it’s easy to see the resemblance between the two.
So let’s look at we have here: wrong timing, similar backgrounds, and carries the same features from both the mother and father’s side of the family? We’re calling it: Prince Charles, not James Hewitt, is Prince Harry’s real father. Diana loved her sons dearly, and while she readily admitted to having affairs with other men, she’s said that Harry and William were not born out of wedlock.
Moving On
It’s fun to gossip about the lives of royals, and they give us some good material to discuss with some wine and crackers. But for something as personal as the parentage of Prince Harry, the best thing we can do is to do a little digging ourselves before pouncing on these rumours – and let them, like his mother, finally rest.
WATCH: The awkward moment Prince Harry ignores Meghan Markle during Major League Baseball
RELATED: Prince William and Prince Harry didn’t wish Princess Diana a happy birthday
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
