Harry was ‘drinking to oblivion’ days after being ‘forced into silence’ at Di’s inquest

Prince Harry was “furious” about being “forced into silence” after his mum Princess Diana’s inquest, according to a royal author.

The Duke of Sussex, 36, was not allowed to pay a separate personal tribute after the High Court inquest in 2008, Duncan Larcombe claims.

Instead, the royal response was reportedly covered by a statement from his dad, Prince Charles.

Harry ended up “drinking to oblivion” just two days later, the Mirror reports.

Mr Larcombe, author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story, said Harry and William were at a stag do for cousin Peter Phillips on the Isle of Wight two days later.

It became clear Harry was “not right”, as even by his standards he was drinking heavily, he said.

Mr Larcombe wrote in the Mirror: “Harry was furious at the official statement his ‘father’s people’ had issued on his behalf, welcoming the inquest findings.

“As far as he was concerned he’d been forced into silence, denied the chance of paying a personal tribute to his beloved mother.

“When I plucked up the courage to ask him why he had not simply instructed the men in grey suits to issue a statement he was happy with, his answer remains ingrained in my memory.

“‘Because they don’t work for me, they work for my father,’ Harry barked back.”

Diana died in Paris, France in 1997, and Harry and his brother Prince William, 38, famously walked behind her coffin at her funeral.

The author said he can vouch for Harry’s version of events about what his life was like, which he gave in the explosive new Apple TV+ documentary.

In the chat with Oprah Winfrey, Harry claimed he turned to drink on weekends and was “willing” to turn to drugs.

Mr Larcombe said much of Harry’s hell-raising had a different meaning to the royal.

And whatever people’s current view of the Duke, the author said he had to cope with a lot before he met his wife Meghan Markle, 39.

The documentary also saw Harry accuse his family of “total neglect” when he asked them for help.

He also accused Charles, 72, of leaving him to “suffer”.