Royal Family May Look "Weak" Staying Quiet About Harry's Memoir, Says Expert

We’d bet that never in royal history has a book that hasn’t even been published yet caused such a stir. But when Prince Harry announced earlier this year that he intended to write a memoir, due out before the end of 2022, he stated that the book would be “accurate and wholly truthful”—and that actually worried some in the royal family. 

It’s speculated that the book will be especially critical of Charles at a time when he needs to cultivate all the goodwill he can, as the Queen’s recent health scares have created uncertainty about how long she may keep the throne. Not only that, but the timing of the memoir has been called “disrespectful” for coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year. Nevertheless, all of this is speculation: The royal family has not formally acknowledged or publicly commented on the book yet.

Now, however, one royal author claims that radio silence is very much on purpose. Lady Colin Campbell, who’s written several books on the royal family, released a video, as covered by Express UK, in which she said that the book’s release puts the other royals in a precarious situation. 

On the one hand, she explained, “the monarchy is acting in a weak and unresponsive way” by not preempting the book’s release directly. On the other hand, she said, “I think what people don’t realize is that a reputable institution that is law-abiding and is respectful of right generally cannot ride roughshod over the rights of others just because it suits it.”

Her point is that Prince Harry is a private citizen living in the U.S. now, and he’s allowed to write whatever he wants—something that the other royals understand, and which is causing them to step very lightly. 

“In the short term, yes they will look weak, at least to some people,” she concluded. “To others, it will look as if they are being respectful, and as if they are playing the long game and that sooner or later, if you give people enough rope to hang themselves with, they will do so.”

Whether or not it’s that cut-throat, or whether they want to avoid stirring up more animosity within the family before they even know what the book’s going to contain is still all speculation. But one thing is very, very certain: This book is going to be a bombshell.