For years, rumors have circulated suggesting that Prince Harry’s real father is not King Charles but rather Princess Diana’s former lover, James Hewitt.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry, now 40, directly addressed these claims, revealing that the royal family was well aware of the speculation. He also shared that his father, King Charles, often joked about the rumors—something Harry found deeply uncomfortable.

Is Prince Harry King Charles’ Son?

Yes, Prince Harry is the son of King Charles. He was born to King Charles and the late Princess Diana on September 15, 1984, two years after the couple welcomed their first son, Prince William, in June 1982.

What Prince Harry Has Said About the James Hewitt Rumors

In Spare, Harry recounted how his father frequently made jokes about the rumors, despite how hurtful they were.

“Pa liked telling stories, and this was one of the best in his repertoire,” Harry wrote.

He recalled Charles reportedly saying: “Who knows if I’m really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father? Maybe your real father is in Broadmoor, darling boy!”

Broadmoor is a high-security psychiatric hospital in the UK, making the remark even more unsettling for Harry. While Charles found the joke amusing, Harry did not.

“A remarkably unfunny joke,” he noted. “Given the rumour circulating just then that my actual father was one of Mummy’s former lovers: Major James Hewitt.”

Harry emphasized that the timeline of events made the rumor impossible—Diana did not meet Hewitt until 1986, two years after his birth.

Despite this, he acknowledged that the speculation persisted largely because of Hewitt’s distinctive red hair, a feature Harry also has. However, he believed the real reason the rumor thrived was public cruelty.

“Tabloid readers were delighted by the idea that the younger child of Prince Charles wasn’t the child of Prince Charles,” he wrote. “They couldn’t get enough of this ‘joke’ for some reason. Maybe it made them feel better about their lives that a young prince’s life was laughable.”

James Hewitt Has Denied the Claims

James Hewitt, now 66, has repeatedly dismissed the rumors, calling them both false and absurd. He also expressed sympathy for Harry, acknowledging how much the speculation affected him.

In a 2017 interview, Hewitt stated: “It sells papers. It’s worse for [Harry] probably, poor chap.”

Despite Hewitt’s denial, the rumors have persisted over the years. However, those close to Diana have also spoken out in support of Harry.

Princess Diana Was ‘Deeply Upset’ by the Rumors

Richard Dalton, Princess Diana’s former hairdresser, addressed the speculation in his 2024 book, It’s All About the Hair, where he firmly debunked the claim that Hewitt could be Harry’s father.

According to Dalton, Harry’s red hair is a Spencer family trait, not something inherited from Hewitt.

“Harry and the Spencer family have red hair,” he wrote. “Charles, Diana’s brother, had bright red hair when he was in college. And I used to cut his hair then. [Diana’s sister] Sarah has bright red hair. [Diana’s other sister] Jane was more or less the same colouring as Diana.”

He reiterated that Diana and Hewitt did not meet until 1986—two years after Harry was born—making the rumor impossible.

“Harry was already born a while before her relationship with Hewitt. And I don’t think it’s possible,” he said.

Dalton also revealed that Diana was deeply upset by the paternity rumors. She found them cruel and hurtful, particularly given how devoted Charles had been as a father during Harry’s early years.

Despite clear evidence disproving the claim, the conspiracy theory continues to circulate.