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Prince Harry says his older brother and heir to the throne Prince William knocked him to the floor during a 2019 argument over Harry's US wife Meghan in his much-awaited memoir which went on sale days early in Spain.

In his book Spare, Harry also discloses how the brothers, the sons of King Charles, had begged their father not to marry his second wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, and that he had taken cocaine as a teenager.

The book was due to be published on Tuesday but the Guardian newspaper printed leaked extracts overnight, and Reuters and other media have been able to obtain Spanish-language versions which went on sale early in Spain.

Details of its contents come as ITV released a clip of an upcoming interview with Harry in which he said he could not commit to attending his father's coronation in May and defended his decision to speak out.

Harry's memoir gives a personal account of his struggles dealing with the death of his mother Princess Diana, his time in the military - when he said he killed 25 Taliban insurgents while serving in Afghanistan - and his conflicts with the press.

But the most striking revelations concern the relationship with his family, something which has hung like a shadow over the royals since he and Meghan stepped down from official duties in 2020 to move to California to forge a new life.

As is usual for the royal family, representatives for King Charles and Prince William have declined to comment.

Harry, 38, wrote in his memoir that his brawl with William, 40, took place in 2019 at his then London home after his brother had called Meghan "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive".

"He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor," Harry wrote.

"I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."

William then challenged his younger brother to hit back but Harry refused.

William later returned to the scene, "looking regretful, and apologised", Harry wrote, with his brother asking him not to tell Meghan that he had "attacked" him.

William and Harry were once seen as very close after the death of their mother in a Paris car crash in 1997.

But the brothers have fallen out since Harry married Meghan, a former actress, in 2018, and the couple then quit their royal roles.

In another section of the book, Harry refers to his first meeting with Camilla, whom Diana had blamed for the break-up of her marriage.

Harry says he and William had approved of Camilla but asked their father not to marry her.

"Despite the fact that Willy and I asked him not to do it, my father went ahead," Harry wrote.

Since their exit from royal life, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as Harry and Meghan are officially known, have delivered stinging criticism of the Windsors and the British monarchy which has included accusations of racism, which William has dismissed.

In an interview for the CBS show 60 Minutes, Harry said he himself was "probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan".

"Put it this way, I didn't see what I now see," he said.

Asked why he was invading the privacy of his family, something he had railed against, he replied: "That will be the accusation from the people that don't understand or don't want to believe that my family have been briefing the press."

The title of his book Spare comes from an oft-cited quote in British aristocratic circles about the need for an heir and a spare.

Harry says Charles reputedly said to Diana on the day he was born: "Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done."

In its leaked extracts, the Guardian says the king stood between his two sons during a difficult meeting at Windsor Castle following the April 2021 funeral for their grandfather Prince Philip, the late Queen Elizabeth's husband.

"Please, boys," Harry quoted his father as saying.

"Don't make my final years a misery."

© RAW 2023

Usman Khawaja celebrated the one-year anniversary of his return to the Test team with his fifth century in 12 months, helping Australia to 4-475 after a wet day two at the SCG against South Africa.

Khawaja was on the verge of his maiden double century when rain stopped play on Thursday, unbeaten on 195 after he and Steve Smith both struck tons in the third Test.

Travis Head then hit 70 off 59 entertaining balls, continuing his swashbuckling summer in which he is striking at more than 95 with an average of 87.5.

With the series already secure, Australia are now eying a 3-0 whitewash and the chance to lock in a spot in June's World Test Championship final.

The hosts will aim to bat into the third day, potentially opening the door for a rare follow-on scenario if they can roll South Africa cheaply with more wet weather forecast.

In superb form since he was recalled last January, Khawaja has averaged more than 75 since his comeback.

Unable to hold down a spot for most of his Test career, he is enjoying one of the great late-career resurgences at age 36.

"He is at the top of his game," Smith said.

"He is scoring runs at will, batting beautifully.

"He, like Davey (Warner), can play for as long as they like. They are both just playing really well."

After resuming on 51 not out on Thursday, the left-hander worked the ball on both sides of the wicket and hit out-of-sorts spinner Keshav Maharaj over cover for six.

He helped take 14 off one Kagiso Rabada over in the middle session, cutting the South African quick for four and then twice guiding him to the third-man boundary.

The one chance he offered up also went for four, middling Rabada to Anrich Nortje at point before the ball brushed the quick's pants and flew to the rope.

"It was a great innings," Smith said.

"He played exceptionally well from ball one. He hit his areas, was nice and patient when he needed to be, played the spin well.

"Hopefully he can get 200 or even 300 (more runs) tomorrow."

Smith also looked at home against the Proteas' bowling, before becoming Maharaj's first victim of the series on 104.

He had earlier dispatched the finger-spinner over the legside rope and taken fellow tweaker Simon Harmer back down the ground, also pulling the quicks when they went short.

The former captain brought up his 30th Test century in that fashion, pulling Nortje for four and becoming the fourth Australian in history to reach the milestone.

Such was Australia's dominance that when Smith was caught and bowled by Maharaj (1-08), it was hard to tell if the batter, bowler or SCG crowd were more shocked.

"It was a sigh of relief more than anything else," Maharaj admitted.

The Proteas' relief was short-lived when Head walked out.

He hit eight boundaries all around the ground and a big six back over Maharaj's head, before eventually being caught pulling Rabada (1-119) towards the square-leg boundary.

South Africa's long day in the field adds to their tour of woe, with Maharaj and Rabada both poor, and Nortje the only threatening bowler with two wickets on day one.

© AAP 2023

Usman Khawaja has asserted himself as the modern-day king of the SCG, etching his name among elite company at the ground just down the road from where he grew up.

Almost a year to the day after he made two centuries on his Test return at the SCG, the left-hander added another to his tally against South Africa on Thursday.

The SCG is now also the site of Khawaja's highest Test score; just after tea, Khawaja pulled Marco Jansen to fine leg for four and surpassed his previous personal best of 174.

He was unbeaten on 195 when wet weather forced stumps to be pulled up early.

Born in Pakistan before moving to Sydney as a youngster, Khawaja now lives in and represents Queensland and has even gone as far as supporting the Maroons in the State of Origin.

But when it comes to cricket, Khawaja feels most at home on the sacred turf of the SCG.

Khawaja was brought up on the Heffron Park wicket seven kilometres away, where he played with Test opening partner David Warner, and it was at the SCG that Khawaja watched all of his Test cricket as a youngster.

He debuted on the ground against England in 2011, posting what remains the most-hyped 37 in recent memory, before hitting his first Ashes century at the same venue in 2018.

Last year, he revived his career at the ground with twin hundreds on his return to the Test team, having since nailed down his role as Australia's most reliable opener.

Now, Khawaja's name is immersed in the history of the famous Sydney Cricket Ground.

When he brought up his century in the first session, Khawaja became only the fourth man, and second Australian, to score centuries in three consecutive Test innings at the SCG after Wally Hammond, Doug Walters and VVS Laxman.

Khawaja also has the highest average of any man who has played more than five Tests at the SCG.

He has posted the equal-second most centuries of any man at the SCG (four), trailing only Ricky Ponting, who managed six.

Only right-armed off-spinner Simon Harmer troubled left-handed Khawaja, as he turned the ball away from him with ease on day one.

But Khawaja had few problems on day two.

He belted Keshav Maharaj over deep extra cover for the first six of the Test in a highlight of his innings.

On 94, he brought up his 13th Test ton with a four through the gully and then sprinted back for two runs after hitting to deep backward square leg on the next ball.

He began to motor on after lunch as he and Steve Smith built up a 209-run partnership and did not let up even after Travis Head replaced Smith at the crease.

© AAP 2023