Prince Harry’s Forthcoming Book Will ‘Shake the Monarchy to the Core,’ Friend Says

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 February 2022

By year’s end, lest we forget, we will have a Prince Harry-penned memoir that, according to the Mirror, will “shake the monarchy to the core.”

In particular, Harry’s feelings about his stepmother Camilla will be laid bare in “the no holds barred memoir,” the Mirror said, pointing out that Harry has so far not made a public comment about Camilla’s future as Queen Consort and that his silence “speaks volumes,” according to a friend of Harry’s who said the prince is still not close to Camilla.

“Although tensions have eased between the two of them over the years, it was more for a show of unity than a close relationship,” the friend said. “There were big problems at the start, but as Harry and his brother William aged and matured, things got better, and they can now coexist as adults. They were never close with her and they still aren’t.”

Harry’s book – scheduled to be published at the end of the year – will address his childhood, his time in the military, and his marriage to Meghan Markle. And, Harry’s friend said, he will address family matters in personal detail.

“He has got lots to say about it,” the friend said. “People think he’s keeping a low profile to respect the family, but it’s not that. He’s writing a book. He’s got a multi-million-pound book deal and he’s keeping a lot of his opinions for that. The memoir deal states that it should include personal details of personal and family arrangements. And it will be a really intimate take on his feelings about his family and what has gone in the breakdown of the relationship.”

In his own words, Harry shared in a statement his motivations for writing the book, saying “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become. I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story – the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned – I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned so far and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”

Including truth that might ruffle feathers, Harry’s friend told the Mirror.

“If they think that he’s gone soft, then they are mistaken,” the friend said. “Just wait for the book to come out, because that will shake the monarchy to the core.”

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.