Prince Harry has revealed that a younger version of himself was convinced that his mum had faked a tragic accident and had went into hiding - in his brand-new autobiography, Spare.
The book, which launched today (January 10), outlines how the then youngster was in denial of Princess Diana's death, and his brain came up with defence mechanisms to allow him to cope.
Harry was delivered the brutal news of his mother's passing aged just 12-years-old, after the Princess of Wales was involved in a fatal car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
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Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul were also found dead inside the car following the accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.
But Harry refused to believe that his mother was gone, and instead clung onto hopes by persuading himself that she had faked her death and had went into hiding, after facing growing scrutiny from the press and those closest to her. In his book, Harry writes: "Hours later Pa left for Paris.
"Accompanied by Mummy's sisters, Aunt Sarah and Aunt Jane. They needed to learn more about the crash, someone said. And they needed to arrange for the return of Mummy's body.
"Body. People kept using that word, It was a punch in the throat, and a bloody lie, because Mummy wasn't dead. That was my sudden insight. With nothing to do but roam the castle and talk to myself, a suspicion took hold, which then became a firm belief.
"This was all a trick. And for once the trick wasn't being played by the people around me, or the press, but by Mummy. Her life's been miserable, she's been hounded, harassed, lied about, lied to. So she's staged an accident as a diversion and run away.
"The realization took my breath away, made me gasp with relief."
The Duke of Sussex then outlines how he thought his mother was in hiding and would be calling for him and his older brother William any coming day. He continued: "Of course! It's all a ruse, so she can make a clean start!
"At this very moment she's undoubtedly renting an apartment in Paris, or arranging fresh flowers in her secretly purchased log cabin somewhere way up high in the Swiss Alps. Soon, soon, she'll send for me and Willy. It's all so obvious!
"Why didn't I see it before? Mummy isn't dead! She's hiding!"
Spare is out today. Have you read it yet? Let us know in the comments.
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