There have been TV shows about his family, Lifetime movies about his relationship, multiple biographies about his sibling drama, and countless news exclusives—and now Prince Harry is finally taking control over his narrative. Well, he actually kinda already did that with the whole bombshell Oprah interview, but still! This dude is taking things to another level of inside access with his upcoming memoir.
Aside from a press release and a brief statement, not much has been revealed about Harry’s memoir (which was written with the help of ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer). But thanks to royal sources, publishing insiders, and plenty of sleuthing, we pretty much know what to expect. And when it comes to Prince Harry’s memoir, timing is everything.
So, When Is Prince Harry’s Memoir Coming Out?
At the very end of 2022. Specifically, right in time for the Thanksgiving/Christmas market, when Penguin Random House will presumably make the most money. Either way, the book is fully done. As a source told The Sun, “The manuscript has been finished and gone through all of the legal processes. It’s done and out of Harry’s hands. The publishing date has been pushed back once but it is on track for the end of the year.”
How Much Did He Get Paid?
According to Page Six, Prince Harry got “at least $20 million up front” from Penguin Random House, with proceeds going to charity! Love that he’s using this moment to give back.
There’s Slight Drama With Harry’s Docuseries
This is allegedly coming from Netflix’s side of things, but apparently the streaming giant is worried it could be scooped by Harry’s memoir and could specifically time the Sussexes’ docuseries to debut around the same time as the book…which also happens to be around the same time as The Crown season 5.
One source told Page Six that “Netflix wants to make sure they get in there and don’t get scooped” by Harry’s upcoming memoir, and execs “knew the book was coming out, which is why they wanted the series this year. They don’t want to hold off any longer.”
So, basically November/December is going to be packed with British royal content.
The Royals Have Been Spiraling
While Harry isn’t expected to say anything negative about the Queen, the same can’t necessarily be said for the rest of his family.
Prince Charles seems particularly stressed that Harry could take aim at his wife, Duchess Camilla, and a source told The Sun that “Charles has shared his concerns with William and is keen he somehow goes on the record and sticks up for Camilla should the book attack her. But as much as William loves his father, he’s unlikely to want to get involved. In all likelihood, he will try and stay neutral.”
Oh, and a royal insider also told The Mirror, “There is a now tsunami of fear among the royals over what Harry will write. Many hope he may correct a few things but do not hold much hope.”
There’s “New Content” in the Book
Thanks to all those aforementioned bios and shows, we know a lot about Harry’s life already. But a Page Six source says, “There’s a lot of new stories in there about the past that Harry has not spoken about before, about his childhood… there is some content in there that should make his family nervous.”
And royal expert and author Andrew Morton told Us Weekly that Charles in particular should be nervous. “If I was Prince Charles, I’d be looking for a pile of coats to hide under,” he said. “I think we’re going to see Charles once more in the firing line.”
Queen Elizabeth II Is Allegedly Getting “Lawyered Up”
Despite claims that Harry won’t say anything negative about the Queen, The Sun claims that Her Majesty is “getting lawyered up,” and senior palace aides are in talks with libel experts.
The Queen’s team is apparently also considering sending “legal warnings” to Penguin Random House, but TBD on if they go through with it.
Harry and Meghan’s Former Staff Is Looking for “Loopholes”
Another royal insider told the Daily Mail that “Harry and Meghan’s former staff members are convinced that this book is being written to settle scores and will likely include a lot of detail about their time within the royal family. Based on the Oprah Winfrey interview, some of these ex-workers simply do not trust that a full and accurate picture will be presented. Conversations have already started about what steps they might be able to take to protect their own reputation and that of the monarchy post-publication.”
Yikes.
Harry’s Friends Might “Break Ranks”
Much like the royals, Harry’s friends from Eton and the Army are worried about the memoir, and one friend told the Daily Mail, “It feels very hypocritical given Harry chucked people out of his friendship group for talking to the press. There is a fear that he’s going to reveal details of his hedonistic youth, which some worry will play havoc with their careers and personal lives.”
A source also claimed that “if Harry slams any of his old school and military buddies in his new book, they have pledged to break ranks to tell their story.”
What Harry Has Actually Said About the Memoir
Here’s the thing: his comments have been completely lacking in drama, and judging from that, this memoir could be pretty relaxed. First up, here’s the official press release:
And Harry’s personal statement:
Pretty chill, right?
Source: Read Full Article
