Prince Harry was once at the center of a bizarre conspiracy involving a secret DNA test—an alleged plot meant to prove that King Charles was not his biological father. The extraordinary story unfolded in late 2002 and was serious enough to draw police attention.

Persistent Rumors About Harry’s Real Father

Ever since Prince Harry’s early years, speculation about his true parentage has followed him. The Duke of Sussex is officially the second son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, yet for decades, rumors have suggested otherwise.

The theory claimed that Harry’s real father was James Hewitt, a former British army cavalry officer who had a well-known affair with Princess Diana between 1986 and 1991—years after Harry’s birth in 1984.

Despite the clear timeline, the rumors persisted largely due to one superficial similarity: both Harry and Hewitt share red hair. Hewitt has consistently denied the claim, telling reporters as recently as 2017, “No, I’m not,” when asked if he was Harry’s father.

Harry himself addressed the long-standing gossip in his memoir Spare, writing, “Never mind that my mother didn’t meet Major Hewitt until long after I was born, the story was simply too good to drop.”

A Secret DNA Plot Emerges

In 2002, newspapers reported that Prince Harry had nearly become the target of a secret DNA test scheme. The plan allegedly involved obtaining a strand of his hair to compare it to James Hewitt’s DNA in order to prove their supposed biological connection.

According to The Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Times, Charles’s private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, was tipped off about the elaborate “honey trap.” Upon learning of the scheme, Peat immediately alerted the police.

He reportedly received a letter that described the plan in detail and handed it over to authorities. At the time, both Prince Charles and 18-year-old Prince Harry—then in his final year at Eton—were made aware of the situation.

The now-defunct News of the World tabloid was accused of orchestrating the plot, though it firmly denied the allegations. St James’s Palace declined to comment on the reports.

Denials and Outrage

Stuart Kuttner, then managing director of News of the World, vehemently rejected the accusations. “The allegation that we would attempt to obtain a sample of Prince Harry’s hair is utterly preposterous,” he said, according to the BBC.

“We did not do this, never attempted to do this, and it has never crossed our minds to do so,” Kuttner continued. He described the idea as “bonkers” and criticized Peat’s investigation, saying, “If this is the approach Sir Michael Peat is adopting in his investigation into sleaze at the palace, we can only assume he’ll find everyone guilty—regardless of any evidence.”

Earlier that same year, James Hewitt once again denied the persistent paternity rumors. “There really is no possibility whatsoever that I am Harry’s father,” he told The Sunday Mirror. “I can absolutely assure you that I am not.”

Despite countless denials and clear timelines disproving the claim, the conspiracy continues to resurface from time to time—though, as both Harry and Hewitt have made clear, it’s nothing more than fiction fueled by gossip and coincidence.