Prince Harry says ‘cold-blooded’ Princess Margaret had bought him a Biro with a rubber fish around it for Christmas – and thinks he and ‘Aunt Margo’ should have been closer

• Princess Margaret gave Harry the bizarre gift at Christmas in Sandringham
• The Queen’s sister died in 2002 after being a heavy smoker much of her life
• In his memoir Spare, Harry said his aunt ‘didn’t have much of an opinion’ of him 

Prince Harry has revealed that Princess Margaret only bought him a Biro with a rubber fish around it for Christmas one year – which he saw as ‘cold-blooded’ – and said he thought he and his ‘Aunt Margo’ should have been closer. 

In his long-awaited memoir ‘Spare’, which was released today following a series of interviews and last month’s Netflix docu-series ‘Harry and Meghan’, Harry says his great-aunt was almost a ‘total stranger’ to him. 

The Duke of Sussex describes one Christmas when the family were together at Sandringham opening presents – and tells the story of a bizarre gift from Princess Margaret. 

Opening the smallest present in his pile first, Harry discovered the Queen’s sister had bought him a biro pen with a small rubber fish wrapped around it, which he saw as ‘cold-blooded’. 

Prince Harry has revealed that Princess Margaret only bought him a Biro with a rubber fish around it for Christmas one year. L to R: The then Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Margaret walk to the orangery in Kensington

Opening the smallest present in his pile first, Harry discovered the Queen’s sister (pictured left, in 1993) had bought him a biro pen with a small rubber fish wrapped around it

Harry adds that Margaret ‘didn’t have much of an opinion’ of him. 

And he writes that he too ‘felt nothing’ for his great aunt except pity – and says he usually tried to keep out of her way. 

Princess Margaret died aged 71 in 2002 when Harry was 17. Her health had deteriorated for the last 20 years of her life – in part the result of heavy smoking. 

She had pneumonia in 1993 and suffered three strokes between 1998 and 2001. She died shortly after a fourth stroke.  

But the prince also shared his wish that he had been closer with Margaret as they had much in common in both being the ‘spare’ to their older sibling with similar ‘rivalry’ and ‘intense competition’. 

He says: ‘We had so much in common. Two spares. Her relationship with Granny wasn’t an exact analogue of mine with Willy, but pretty close’.

As Margaret became more ill, Harry began to wish that he’d had more time to get to know her.  

The Duke also draws comparisons between Margaret and his mother Diana, as they both rebelled against traditional expectations set by the crown. 

The ‘explosive’ pages of Spare include accusations of a physical fight with his older brother Prince William at Nottingham Cottage in 2019, as well as a further disagreement shortly after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021. 

The ‘explosive’ pages of Spare also include accusations of a physical fight with his older brother Prince William at Nottingham Cottage in 2019 (pictured together on September 10)

Princess Margaret died aged 71 in 2002 when Harry was 17. Her health had deteriorated for the last 20 years of her life

Caroline Lennon, the first customer to purchase a copy of Spare, the newly released autobiography from the Duke of Sussex, poses for photographers with her copy of the book as she leaves Waterstones Piccadilly, London

The official release of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, appears to have been something of a damp squib, with minimal enthusiasm from fans

The Duke of Sussex describes a stand-up row that ended with the Prince of Wales grabbing him by the collar and throwing him to the floor, shattering a dog bowl with his back.

Harry also includes personal stories, admitting to drug use, having a frostbitten penis at William and Kate’s wedding and detailing how he lost his virginity.

The long-awaited 416-page book is awaiting shoppers today and is being sold at half-price for £14 in Waterstones, WH Smith and on Amazon

It is dedicated to his wife Meghan, children Archie and Lilibet, and his late mother Diana and is being published in 16 languages.

Bookshops opened early this morning for the release of Prince Harry’s memoir – but rather than floods of customers, staff saw barely anyone turn up. 

Caroline Lennon, 59, was the only one waiting to buy Spare after she walked two miles from Bethnal Green in the East End to queue from 6am. 

The majority of the book’s most shattering revelations were documented before its official release, through the Duke of Sussex’s PR blitz, with interviews with Tom Bradby and Anderson Cooper, as well as the leaking of a Spanish version of the memoir.

World of Books says it’s nearly sold out of the title – currently selling for £33.39 – while WH Smith and Amazon are both selling Spare for £14 – half the original price. 

The release comes after the Spanish edition of the book En La Sombra (‘In The Shadow’) was leaked on February 5, despite ultra-secure arrangements in place, and after a set of tell-all interviews.

It was pulled from the shelves within hours but not before the world had gained access to its contents, detailing tensions between Harry and other members of the royal family and personal stories about the Prince’s life.

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