ScandalsThe Royal Family

Who Is Prince Harry’s Real Father?

Does the James Hewitt theory hold up? Now now, don’t go exiting right away thinking that this will be some kind of conspiracy theory.(It is) Its just a debate on who is Prince Harry’s real father.

Prince Harry, AKA Henry Charles Albert David, fifth in line to the British royal throne, and the youngest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana(or is he?)

Harry’s paternity has been debated amongst people for years, as there are some who believe that his real father is Princess Diana’s riding instructor, a man named James Hewitt.

The theory turned up when people noticed the key features that the two share, such as the red hair and the fact that you could mix them up as they look EXACTLY the same.

The Affair

In  1986, just two years after Prince Harry’s birth, Princess Diana started an affair with Hewitt the Horse Whisperer-an affair that lasted five years. Princess Diana herself admitted that she and Hewitt had an affair during a BBC Panorama program in 1995.

Meanwhile, Hewitt mused in an interview, “It was never her intention to fall in love with me, and it was certainly not my intention to fall in love with Diana, but it happened because of the circumstances throwing us together. […] It’s very difficult to say how physical she wanted the relationship to become. And I’m not going to suggest one way or the other whose fault it was, it developed and it was mutual.”

And if you still aren’t convinced, meet Diana’s former bodyguard Ken Wharfe—who wrote in his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret that “The pair usually met at an old cottage in Devon belonging to Shirley, Hewitt’s mother, where the creaking bedroom floorboards told the story more loudly than any confession.”

Diana: Closely Guarded Secret

It seems that the couple was actually in love, Hewitt even stating that he had considered spending the rest of his life with her, but unfortunately, they broke up after news of the affair worked its way into the media. “Although neither of us said anything I think both of us realized the situation was impossible,” Hewitt explained. “It was more and more obvious to me that she wanted to finish the relationship… it just fizzled out.”

The Photo Evidence

Now here comes the “hard” evidence (if you can even call it that). These photos make most people have a bit of doubt concerning Harry’s parentage.

EXHIBIT A:  Here is Hewitt playing polo at age 33 in 1991 (the exact same age that Harry is today) and Harry playing the game last year.

Here is Hewitt playing polo at age 33 in 1991 (the exact same age that Harry is today) and Harry playing the game last year.

EXHIBIT B: By comparison, here’s Prince Charles playing Polo, also in his thirties:

By comparison, here's Prince Charles playing Polo, also in his thirties

EXHIBIT C: This is Prince Harry and Hewitt side-by-side have basically the same look.

Prince Harry and Hewitt side-by-side sporting very similar facial features

EXHIBIT D: And this is Prince Harry side-by-side with Prince Charles:

The Denials

The royal family generally lives by the motto “never complain, never explain,” but the royal family has had some instances when they put an effort to shut down rumors about Harry’s parentage over the years.

  1. In 2002, Hewitt told the Sunday Mirror, “There really is no possibility whatsoever that I am Harry’s father. I can absolutely assure you that I am not. Admittedly the red hair is similar to mine and people say we look alike. I have never encouraged these comparisons and although I was with Diana for a long time I must state once and for all that I’m not Harry’s father. When I met Diana, he was already a toddler.”
  2. In 2002, Diana’s bodyguard Ken Wharfe wrote in his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, “The malicious rumors that still persist about the paternity of Prince Harry used to anger Diana greatly. The nonsense should be scotched here and now. Harry was born on 15 September 1984. Diana did not meet James until the summer of 1986, and the red hair, gossips so love to cite as proof is, of course, a Spencer trait.”
  3. In 2017, Hewitt went on an Australian TV show and shot down the rumors yet again, saying, “It’s worse for [Harry than it is for me], probably, poor chap.”
  4. In 2017, Diana’s butler Paul Burrell said, “I never heard any of the Royal Family discussing James Hewitt is Harry’s dad because we knew the truth. It’s something that’s been made up. It was just because Harry had red hair, but all the Spencers have red hair.”

The  Verdict

So in the end, Prince Harry is almost certainly not Hewitt’s son- even with their uncanny physical resemblance. Further proof is that the Royal biographer Penny Junor claimed that in 2003, News of The World tested Harry’s hair and the test turned out to be negative. “The News of the World even had strands of Harry’s hair DNA-tested in February 2003,” Juror wrote. “And if Harry had been shown to be James Hewitt’s son, you can be sure we’d have known.” How trustworthy this is, well is up to the individual.

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