From laughing it off to irritation, here are some of the royal family’s responses to claims that Harry’s real father isn’t, in fact, the king.

Who is Prince Harry’s real father?

In short, it’s King Charles. That’s the real answer. There is no evidence whatsoever that the king isn’t the true father of the Duke of Sussex.

So how did the rumours that he isn’t start in the first place?

Diana and James Hewitt’s relationship

Back in the 1980s, during her marriage with Charles, Princess Diana was having an affair with her riding instructor, James Hewitt.

The late Princess of Wales’ marriage with Charles was rocky at this point. It’s alleged that Charles was himself having an affair with his now wife Queen Camilla at the time.

Hewitt was a cavalry officer in the British Army. His affair with the princess began when he was in the Household Cavalry and had been asked to give her riding lessons.

In a book published in 1994 titled Princess in Love, it was alleged that they had an affair between 1986 and 1991.

Hewitt left the UK in 1991 to serve as a Challenger tank squadron commander in the Gulf War.

The main reason people think Hewitt is Harry’s father? Because he has ginger hair. Yes, really.

Prince Harry’s reaction to rumours James Hewitt is his real father

However, the key thing here is the dates. Hewitt and Diana’s relationship allegedly didn’t begin until 1986.

Prince Harry was born in 1984 – two years before they even met.

Harry wrote about the rumours in his 2023 autobiography, Spare.

“One cause of this rumour was Major Hewitt’s flaming ginger hair, but another cause was sadism,” he wrote.

“Tabloid readers were delighted by the idea that the younger child of Prince Charles wasn’t the child of Prince Charles. 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,” he added.

“Never mind that my mother didn’t meet Major Hewitt until long after I was born, the story was simply too good to drop.”

Hewitt was outright asked in 2017 by Channel Seven whether he was Harry’s dad.

“No I’m not,” he replied. He then added that the rumour continues to circulate as it “sells papers”.

“It’s worse for him probably, poor chap,” Hewitt then said of Harry.

King Charles’ reaction to Harry’s real dad rumours

In his book, Spare, Harry also revealed that Charles actually saw the funny side of the rumours. The duke revealed that the king would even make jokes about it!

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

“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!” Charles allegedly used to say, according to Harry.

Harry didn’t see the funny side though, branding the jokes as “remarkably unfunny”.