Prince Harry Will Never Publish His Memoir, Royal Expert Says: ‘There Is No Way Back’ If He Does
Prince Harry’s memoir may never be published, according to one biographer, who points out that it could prevent him from returning to the royal family. The Sussexes find themselves in a “bind,” the expert says, because Harry is expected to “spill everything” after being paid an advance.
Biographer says Prince Harry is in a ‘bind’ with upcoming memoir
Royal biographer Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers, shared her thoughts about Harry’s memoir at the Henley Literary Festival, The Telegraph reports.
According to Brown, it’s very likely that Prince Harry won’t publish his memoir for fear he won’t be able to return to the royal family after he airs more dirty laundry.
“They are now in this bind, where they’ve taken all this money and Harry has made this book deal where he’s supposed to spill everything about his horrible life as a royal, but now he’s actually tortured about it because he understands there is no way back if he does it,” she explained.
“If the book continues, I don’t think there is any way for Harry to return,” Brown continued. “So my view has always been that the book won’t see the light of day.”
She added, “The window is beginning to close but I always thought at some point a deal would be made and Charles would have to pay back the advance to stop Harry writing this book.”
Harry’s book is a ‘threat’ to the royal family
Royal author Katie Nicholl spoke with ET about how Harry’s book poses a “threat” to the royals.
“I think the greatest threat, and the greatest concern certainly for the royals, is the forthcoming autobiography by Prince Harry, which has, of course, caused a lot of consternation in royal circles,” she said. “A lot of concern among senior royal sources and palace aides because, quite simply, they don’t know what to expect.”
She added, “There’s lots of rumors that Prince Harry is making possibly last-minute edits to the book. In light of the queen’s death, the sensitivity perhaps of some of the passages he’s written about. The autobiography has been shrouded in secrecy and I think it is a case of belts and braces, and the palace really preparing themselves for what’s to come.”
Nicholl doesn’t think Harry can bail on publishing the book because he received a $35 million advance. “The chances of him handing that back and saying, ‘actually, I’m not going to do this book after all’ — I think that’s highly unlikely,” she explained. “When you’re having that sort of an advance, that’s not going to be for Harry talking about his philanthropic work. That’s going to be the inside story of being born the spare, what it entails.”
Prince Harry promised a ‘wholly truthful’ account
Harry had shared the intentions of his memoir in a statement. “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” he said. “I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.”
Harry added, “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.”
