Neither Prince Charles Nor Prince William Have Reportedly Seen an Advance Copy of Prince Harry’s Tell-All Book
The manuscript has reportedly been signed off on by lawyers and is due on shelves this winter.
The publication of Prince Harry’s memoir—slated for the end of the year—is quickly approaching. (After all, unbelievably, it’s September next week.) But, according to The Sun, he hasn’t given Prince Charles or Prince William (who are likely, obviously, major parts of Harry’s story) advance copies to read, and, according to the outlet, even if he had, Charles wouldn’t read it anyway.
“The royal family will read the explosive book at the same time as the public and have no idea when it will be published, it’s understood,” according to the outlet. The Telegraph also reports that lawyers and advisers for the royal family have also been kept in the dark.
The memoir, which was ghostwritten by Pulitzer Prize-winning author J.R. Moehringer (who wrote Andre Agassi’s memoir as well as his own memoir, The Tender Bar, which was made into a movie directed by George Clooney and starring Ben Affleck earlier this year), has already been submitted to publishers and cleared with lawyers, according to The Sun. The book—published by Penguin Random House—still has no publicly released title or firm release date, though it is expected to hit shelves in time for the Thanksgiving and holiday markets. The Sun reports that “the silence around the date of the publication has led some to speculate that Penguin will launch the book in a ‘shock drop’” and that fears exist that “it will be teased with a series of revelations before it’s available to read,” not unlike Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
The Sun writes that Charles believed he’d be sent a copy of the manuscript in advance, despite being, in the publication’s words, “blindsided” by the announcement that there was a forthcoming book at all. That said, sources say that whether he gets an advance copy or not, the book is “unlikely to be on his reading list.”
No matter what the book actually contains, The Sun reports that “royal aides say the royal family would never sue one of their own—no matter what details are contained in the memoir.” Not surprisingly, representatives from the Palace are not commenting on any of the new claims surrounding the book.
Royal expert Angela Levin has said the book will “focus heavily” on Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and it is understood that Harry has been extensively researching the life of the late Princess of Wales. As Harry and Meghan plan a return trip to the U.K. in just two weeks’ time, another royal expert says that rifts will continue within the family—specifically with William and Harry—until the book has been published (and, assuming the contents don’t create more distance between the brothers).
“I can’t see any chance of a reconciliation between the Sussexes and the Cambridges until Harry’s book is out of the way,” says Phil Dampier. “And it’s likely to make things worse.”
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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.