Prince Harry ‘Keeping His Family at a Distance’ Until After His Memoir Is Released, Says Royal Expert
After stepping down as senior royals in 2020 and moving to the U.S., Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have given the royal family one headache after another from doing TV interviews and specials to podcasts to the Duke of Sussex‘s upcoming memoir. Now, a royal commentator is claiming that following the chilly reception Harry and Meghan received from many royals during their last visit, the prince will be “keeping his distance” until after his book comes out.
What Prince Harry has said about his memoir
Following the announcement in 2021 that Harry was writing a memoir, the publisher Penguin Random House described the book as “intimate and heartfelt.” A press release said that the prince will “for the very first time” share the “definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him.”
The Duke of Sussex then put out his own statement about his book saying: “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”
Expert says the duke is ‘keeping his family at a distance’ until after his book is released
Harry and Meghan attended Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. However, they were not in town long and reportedly didn’t spend any time with Prince Charles or Prince William. And a royal commentator believes Harry won’t be calling up or visiting any of his relatives in the near future and that’s because of his book.
Express noted that royal expert Richard Eden spoke to Palace Confidential and opined that the duke will continue “keeping his distance” from the family until after the release date because he “can’t face them.”
“What could [Harry] do at this point to bridge the gap [in the fued],” Palace Confidential‘s host Jo Elvin asked Eden.
The expert responded: “There’s a lot Harry could do but I really do think he is keeping his family at a distance until his book is published. I really, really do.”
Eden added: “I think that he is going to be saying some things which will be unpleasant and will go down badly with Prince Charles and Prince William and he almost, sort of, can’t face them. I think that partly explains the awkward situation we had during the Jubilee and why they didn’t want to spend time with each other.”
Harry’s biographer claims the prince’s book won’t bash the royal family
While the royal family is likely on edge not knowing what Harry will write in his memoir, Finding Freedom biographer Omid Scobie claimed that the duke’s book isn’t focused on the Firm or bashing them.
“Harry really is going out of his way to make sure that there isn’t material in there that can be seen as negative towards the queen or her reign in any way whatsoever,” Scobie said on a previous episode of Royally Obsessed podcast. “I think as much as the press wants this to be a burn book and an attack on the institution, this is more just about his story.”
Scobie continued: “Of course, his story is so much more than just the few years of his life as the Duke of Sussex. I think for people expecting that warts-and-all moment, it’s not going to happen.”
The book was slated to be out in 2022, however, no specific date was given and it’s now believed that the publication has been pushed back.
