

Prince Harry’s family reportedly aren’t the only ones concerned about Spare, his forthcoming memoir due out January 10—his friends, too, are seemingly “concerned about how far he’s going” in the book, and that there are some darker moments in the tell-all that give them pause.
According to True Royalty TV editor-in-chief Nick Bullen, Harry had been “talking to friends from his childhood” to help spark his memory around certain events, including “some of the darker moments in his life.”
“I know a lot of people have been saying to him, ‘Why are you going back over this old brand? Why are you digging all of this up again?’” Bullen says, per OK.
His inner circle is worried that revisiting the low points of his life—including no low point more devastating than the days immediately after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when Harry was just 12—could put Harry “back in a negative headspace,” the outlet reports.
“I think those closest to him in the U.K. or those who were very close to him in the U.K. in the past are slightly concerned about how far he’s going,” Bullen says. “Now, whether he puts all of that in the book or the [Netflix] doc[useries], I don’t know, but he’s certainly been doing a lot of early childhood research.”
Bullen also says “certainly I think [that] the questions he’s been asking have been raising a number of eyebrows. And then those that are sort of closer to [King Charles] and the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales—who are part of the Palace infrastructure—are absolutely bracing themselves for what’s about to come because nobody knows. History has shown us that when the Sussexes speak, they can throw out some pretty big accusations.”
When it comes to Spare, the royal family hasn’t “received a copy yet and don’t know what to expect,” an insider says, per Us Weekly. “It’s making them nervous.” Bullen says “I think it’s all a very closely guarded secret. We have a documentary [coming out] in December. We’ve got the book in January. And, you know, Netflix have paid a lot of money for this documentary…So Harry and Meghan are gonna have to say more than ‘We have a lovely life in Montecito, and we love each other.’ You know, there needs to be some meat in this sandwich.”
OK reports that Harry is putting forth real effort “to strike a balance that will hopefully minimize the fallout caused” by the book’s publication, reportedly softening some of its contents in the wake of Her late Majesty’s death on September 8.
Apparently, some of his friends wonder why he is doing the book at all, but, according to Us Weekly, “it’s been a very rough process. And very difficult for him to recount certain traumatic events from his childhood…At the same time, he’s found it cathartic and at this stage there are no regrets.”
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

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.
-
Kate Middleton Sent a Subliminal Statement With Her Blue Cape Dress
The royal fashion lore continues amid the release of Omid Scoobie's new bombshell book.
By Kaitlin Clapinski
-
Beyoncé Released a Surprise Song for the 'Renaissance' Concert Film
Hear the movie's end credits song, "My House."
By Quinci LeGardye
-
Beyoncé Is a Literal Jewel in an Extravagant Balmain Mini in London
Queen B shone in a bejeweled Olivier Rousteing piece in honor of her 'Renaissance Tour' film.
By Gabriella Onessimo
-
The Royal Family Needn’t Worry: 'Spare' Volume II Won't Happen, Omid Scobie Says
Prince Harry has previously said he could write a whole other book with content left on the cutting room floor.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William is Jealous of Prince Harry’s Ability to “Break Away” from the Royal Establishment, Omid Scobie Writes
“It’s easy to see why William’s fury is bubbling to the top.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William and Prince Harry Will Probably Only See One Another for One Occasion Henceforth
And it’s not an occasion anyone relishes.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Nearly Four Years After Leaving the U.K., Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are “Embarking On a Total System Reboot”
“They are all about the future.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Once the Peacemaker Between Prince William and Prince Harry, Princess Kate Now Considers Her Relationship With Harry Over
It’s one of many bombshells Omid Scobie is dropping this week in his new book.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Even Though the Sussexes Knew They Weren’t On the Same Page with Spotify, They Still Signed $20M Deal Because They “Needed Serious Money,” Author Claims
“The money was on the table, and they were in a desperate place.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Distraught Over Being Asked to Vacate Frogmore Cottage Earlier This Year, Prince Harry Asked His Father King Charles a Heartbreaking Question
The Frogmore eviction has long been seen as a retaliatory move for the publication of Harry’s memoir, ‘Spare,’ just weeks earlier.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Royal Family is Growing “Increasingly Frustrated” That King Charles “Won’t Just Fix Things” With Prince Harry
They want the King to mend fences “for the sake of everyone.”
By Rachel Burchfield