SARAH VINE: It’s time for Harry to take a long hard look in a mirror
Admittedly I am not a publisher but I do know a little about the book trade. And one thing I can say for certain: you don’t get a four-book deal with an advance approaching £30 million if the person signing the cheque doesn’t know for sure there’s some seriously juicy stuff on offer.
The revelation that Prince Harry is working on a tell-all autobiography in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer would have been nerve-racking enough for the Queen, given his recent track record with Oprah et al.
Now it transpires there are three more books in the pipeline. Admittedly one is a ‘wellness’ tome, to be penned by the Duchess herself, so probably more of the sub-Gwyneth Paltrow guff about the importance of self-love.
The revelation that Prince Harry is working on a tell-all autobiography in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer would have been nerve-racking enough for the Queen, given his recent track record with Oprah et al
But the other two remain a mystery –save for the fact that Volume 2 will reportedly be held back until after the Queen dies.
If this turns out to be the case, then inevitably there will be speculation as to why. And given the Prince’s recent string of attacks on his family, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume the worst.
There have been many jaw-dropping moments over the past few months in relation to Harry, but this sets a new bar.
Because however uncharitable it may be, it’s hard to dismiss the notion that the Queen, who has never been anything other than forgiving of her grandson’s behaviour, is now little more than an inconvenient obstacle in his mission to cash in on his past life as a Royal.
What’s more, one can’t help wondering: is it possible that Prince Harry might not actually be the rather sweet, generous-hearted man he always seemed to be – or even the emotional, bleeding heart Prince of Woke he likes to project?
But the other two remain a mystery –save for the fact that Volume 2 will reportedly be held back until after the Queen dies
We’ve seen glimpses of this over the past few years. His aggression towards the press, the petty rows with his brother, the way he and Meghan deliberately targeted the Duchess of Cambridge in that Oprah interview, his decision to fly home straight after his grandfather’s funeral rather than stay a few extra hours to celebrate the Queen’s 95th birthday.
The further Harry steps out from behind the protective screen of the Monarchy, the more his true character seems to emerge. And it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Details about how he ‘led’ contract negotiations from his £11 million mansion in Montecito are in themselves quite revealing. According to a source in publishing, he had a ‘very take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude, and ‘those involved were actually very shocked by his approach, which was to look at them coldly and state his demands’.
His starting price was £18 million; the bidding apparently ended around the £29 million mark. That’s the kind of deal Gordon ‘greed is good’ Gekko would be proud of.
It’s certainly a far cry from the touchy-feely persona Harry likes to present in carefully engineered photoshoots and interviews.
But ultimately you have only to look at the way Harry continually ambushes the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family with bombshells like this, never giving them fair warning of what he’s planning, to see that this is a man who, while he talks a lot about compassion and caring, often behaves in exactly the opposite manner.
Harry claims that in writing this memoir he will have a chance to address the world ‘not as a Prince but as the man I’ve become’
Uncertainty and living under constant fear of attack are classic stress triggers, and that is exactly what Harry is doing to the Queen.
And now she knows that it won’t even stop when she’s dead – that, in fact, her passing will unlock another clause in the multi-million-pound contract.
Harry claims that in writing this memoir he will have a chance to address the world ‘not as a Prince but as the man I’ve become’.
Might I respectfully suggest, Sir, that as that man you take a long, hard look in the mirror…
New evidence has emerged showing that Covid could be spread by flatulence. Ha! That might explain why it’s so easily transmitted among teenagers.
Trans debate gets voice of reason
Encouraging signs that the tide is beginning to turn in the ongoing ‘Terf’ warfare between trans activists and those of us who, while deeply sympathetic to the rights of trans people, are equally determined to preserve those of women and girls.
Baroness Jenkin last week spoke out about why she no longer believes in Government proposals to change the law on self-identification so that anyone who merely states they feel they are the opposite sex must be accorded the rights of the sex they choose.
No surgery, no hormones, no gender dysphoria diagnosis required – a move that could have serious repercussions for vulnerable women, particularly in places like jails, where there have been several incidences of trans women abusing their rights. Jenkin’s intervention is significant because she has in the past been lauded for her work on gender equality by groups such as Stonewall, the once highly respected gay rights organisation, whose chief executive, Nancy Kelley, likened ‘gender-critical’ beliefs (that is to say, the belief that biological sex cannot fundamentally be changed) to antisemitism.
Brave of Jenkin to stand up to the bullies – and good to have a voice like hers on the side of reason in this maddest of modern debates.
Stop, Amanda, I just can’t bear it!
I wish celebrities like Amanda Holden would spare a thought for those Brits who haven’t been lucky enough to escape this summer. I know it’s hard when you are as fabulous as Amanda to resist the urge to tell the world via Instagram, but for those paralysed by the pingdemic, or whose longed-for getaways have been stymied by the traffic-light system, there may be a limit to how much they can take having their noses rubbed in it.
I wish celebrities like Amanda Holden would spare a thought for those Brits who haven’t been lucky enough to escape this summer
All in favour of encouraging healthier lifestyles, but a Government-approved app that monitors our shopping choices and dispenses rewards for buying fruit and veg? If you think Test and Trace is annoying, wait until you get pinged for having an extra scoop of ice cream.
As motorists prepare to ditch diesel and petrol, industry experts warn that we are going to need ten times more electric car chargers by 2030, when sales of combustion engine cars are banned altogether. Currently the UK has about 25,000 charging points, so we’re talking about at least a quarter of a million. Given there are almost 33 million cars in the country today, even that sounds woefully inadequate. But the real question is this: how is the National Grid going to support the huge surge in demand, bearing in mind that it can barely cope at the moment when too many people boil a kettle? And where is THAT energy going to come from? Not wind farms, I’ll wager.
According to new research, a glass and a half of white wine a day delays the menopause. I’m through mine, but I’ll take the medical advice anyway. You can never be too careful.
According to new research, a glass and a half of white wine a day delays the menopause
Festivals and nightclubs have reopened, with thousands of young people flocking to fields and dancefloors everywhere.
Yet, worryingly, the latest figures show vaccine resistance among the young is high: 38 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds have not had a first dose, put off by conspiracy theories and general paranoia. Which is ironic since many of them are perfectly happy to pop pills or powders they’ve bought from some dodgy dude in a tent or a nightclub toilet, with no idea whatsoever what they’re ingesting.
Yet when it comes to injecting something that has been exhaustively trialled and approved across the globe – and which might just save humanity – they come over all precious. Honestly, grow up.
While being appalled by the borderline abusive restrictions placed on Britney Spears by her 13-year conservatorship, her most recent social media posts aren’t doing much to counter the notion that she is a responsible adult. Her latest feature her topless, clutching her breasts between her hands; her nails bitten, their polish peeling. Is there no one in this poor woman’s life who can offer her some sensible advice?
While being appalled by the borderline abusive restrictions placed on Britney Spears by her 13-year conservatorship, her most recent social media posts aren’t doing much to counter the notion that she is a responsible adult
If social media firms want to tackle abuse against black sportsmen and women, why don’t they remove the monkey emoji, widely used as a vile term of abuse by trolls? It won’t resolve the problem but it would be one less weapon in the racists’ arsenal. Talking of emojis, I see there is now one of a pregnant man, complete with moustache. If we are talking fantasy, I prefer unicorns.
There’s good reason why calling someone a liar in the House of Commons – as the Labour MP Dawn Butler did last week of Boris Johnson – is not allowed: it reduces discussion to little more than a slanging match. Truth is, the quality of debate in the House is poor enough these days as it is. If people like Butler had their way it would soon be little better than a wood-panelled version of Twitter.
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