Prince Harry’s memoir ‘is the stuff of nightmares for the palace’

Royal Ascot, Portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth the Second behind TRH Harry the Duke of Sussex and TRH Meghan the Duchess of Sussex

I’m still sorting through the royal press’s reactions to the news about Prince Harry’s memoir. I’m a little bit surprised that there wasn’t an immediate series of briefings from Clarence House and Kensington Palace, but maybe that’s because the news really did surprise them. According to the Daily Beast, British outlets covering Prince Charles at an official event last night were the ones to break the news to Charles’ staff. The reaction from one of Charles’ aides was “oh gosh!” and “It was clear aides had no idea the book was being written or even being announced.” Harry’s spokesperson also briefed certain outlets that Harry had “very recently” spoken to his family about the memoir, but no one knows who, where or when. Clearly, Charles really didn’t know. I suspect the Queen did. Here are some highlights from the Daily Beast’s coverage:

Within the royal family, the news that Harry is to publish a memoir is likely to be greeted with appalled resignation. (Buckingham Palace did not return a Daily Beast request for comment.)

Family members accept that they have no sway over the increasingly lurid headlines that Harry and Meghan seem intent on generating as they spill the intimate and private details of their lives, but that doesn’t mean they like it. But this is the way things are now, and it seems certain this new tome will contain juicy insights into royal life; as Duncan Larcombe, the former royal correspondent at the Sun who wrote a biography of Harry, told the Daily Beast: “The truth is, to keep selling, he has to talk about the royals, because no one will be paying vast sums of money for Harry’s theories on the nature of compassion. There has never been a royal memoir, and this is the stuff of nightmares for the palace.”

Although he has as yet never directly indicted his father for his role in the Diana funeral choreography, one big question is whether he will now let rip on Papa. What will he say about brother Prince William, their relationship, what was said about Meghan and how it was said, and the state of their relationship now? What will he say about royal parenting, and the institution itself? What will he say about Meghan, their marriage, relationship, and their exit from their senior royal roles and new life?

It seemed pretty clear on his Oprah interview that Harry holds his father in very low regard: he had a faintly disgusted look when he told Oprah: “I feel really let down, because he’s been through something similar. He knows what pain feels like…I will always love him, but there is a lot of hurt that’s happened. I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try to heal that relationship.”

There are any number of revelations that Harry could make that would completely dominate the news agenda—the identity of the royal racist springs to mind—and the palace are likely to be hugely concerned that advance leaks from the book, due to be published in the fall, could significantly overshadow the queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations, which will reach their zenith with a four day bank holiday in the U.K. in early June next year.

[From The Daily Beast]

“But what about the Platinum Jubilee!” FFS. Does anyone honestly want to sit here in July 2021 and worry about the state of the poor Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations? How much can anyone really panic about any of this? And I’m sure it will all be a dreadful nightmare for the Windsors, but might I interest anyone in the wall-to-wall British media coverage of, say, Harry’s return to the UK for Philip’s funeral and the state unveiling? The media isn’t mad that Harry will overshadow the poor old Queen, they’re worried that Harry will torpedo all of the dumbf–k storylines they were going to promote around the Sussexes for the next year.

The easy solution for the British media would be to simply be less hysterical about the Sussexes every g–damn day. That would be a solution for the Windsors too – take a step back. Take a break from obsessing over Harry and Meghan. Go one full month without briefing against them or attacking them. And then go from there.

Day Three of The Royal Windsor Horse Show

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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81 Responses to “Prince Harry’s memoir ‘is the stuff of nightmares for the palace’”

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  1. Amanda says:

    Oh there’s never been a royal memoir?

    Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (London: Collins, 1983), ISBN 0-00-216646-1.

    Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Memories of Ninety Years (London: Collins & Brown Ltd, 1991), ISBN 1-85585-048-6.

    The Queen’s aunt by marriage wasn’t royal???

    • ModeratelyWealthy says:

      Just a couple if hours ago, one of those morons was making the connection with Edward again, that he wrote his memoir in the 50´s- who can be more royal than a former King?

      They cannot keep their narratives straight.

    • Sofia says:

      And a lot of these royals collaborate with authors to write books about them. Just because the royals don’t put their names on it doesn’t mean they don’t get involved in books

    • Amy Bee says:

      Yeah the court jeweller blog tweeted a list of biographies written by or authorized by members of the royal family. There’s a lot. She left off Jonathan Dimbleby’s book on Charles for some reason. Her explanation didn’t hold up as why she left it off but he helped and gave final approval of the book.

      • Amanda says:

        Wow that is a lot!

        Even Queen Victoria wrote a memoir of her childhood, describing her upbringing as miserable, which was posthumously published in her (censored) Letters. I’m sensing a theme…

    • rawiya says:

      Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is writing an autobiography. And aside from his wife’s shady past and her dealings with Epstein, he’s booooring. So, if he can write one, Harry can write one.

    • jenjamTX says:

      Hasn’t Sarah, The Duchess of York, written two memoirs?

  2. Chica says:

    If the palace/ Chuck/ Will are. as great, kind and thoughtful as the RR claims, what possible damage can one little book cause? The logic seems problematic. Just an observation.

  3. ModeratelyWealthy says:

    They can´t- this is the stuff of tabloid´s dreams. They will sell outrage until this news is new no more!

  4. Katie says:

    Question: Excepting the Daily Mail, do the British tabloids have a business model these days that works without sensational Sussex headlines?

  5. Red Snapper says:

    I am so sick of the Queen throwing herself huge, expensive parades and parties for the extraordinary accomplishment of not being dead yet.

    • SusanRagain says:

      Oh excellent comment. 100% correct.
      My lovely neighbor will be 95 on Saturday, he says “Don’t make a fuss. I plan to be here for a bit yet.” That man has lived thru some heartbreak and still has been a joy to everyone who knows him. 😀

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      I laughed too hard at that Red Snapper. Might have punched my ticket to hell with that.

    • Demi says:

      Lol always enjoy your comments Red Snapper

  6. Oy_Hey says:

    How much do you want to bet that the memoir is about Afghanistan and Sentabale, and Invictus, and mentions being royal as a footnote? That’s the memoir that I would read – about Harry the person and not whatever these fools are freaking out about

    • Nicki says:

      Yes, @oh_hey, I bet it’s going to be about his mum and her influence, his military service and the awakening it caused in him, meeting his wife and becoming a dad. It’ll be about becoming the man that he is, and not about settling accounts. He’s not the small and petty one in that weird family.

    • Laura says:

      That is really what I’m hoping for: no mention of any salacious royal gossip, just focusing on Harry’s life as a man. I want the RF & the BM to go apesh1t before the book is released just like they did before the Oprah interview, and then this book have nothing negative or bombshell-y. That will be for the second memoir… it would be so awesome if that happened. A girl can dream…

    • serena says:

      It would be the best kind of shade if he didn’t even mention his salty father and brother, lol.

      • keroppi says:

        Can you imagine!

        The outrage about writing a book a memoir! The outrage about writing that doesn’t include ME!

    • HeyJude says:

      Exactly as I was thinking, the current other royals are barely going to feature in this book at all. And Harry I’m sure planned it this way with that intention too. He knew they’d immediately accuse him of writing a book tattling on them. And now the palaces and Will and Charles will make absolute morons of themselves panicking and publicly slandering Harry for written a tell all book for months ahead of the release, then none of them will be talked about in it and they’ll look like absolute deranged fools.

      I expect the book will be some recollections about growing up with his mother and watching her work which inspired him, then tackling military service and charity work himself as a young man living a adventurous life, until he met an amazing woman and settled down to become a doting parent just like his mum. Perfect story for a memoir, perfect circle of a narrative with a happy ending. I’m sure he’ll add a lot of the wisdom he’s learned and his theories on compassion, in fact, despite the snarky remark the one journalist gave, as people do want to hear what Harry has to say.

      I for one do. He and Meghan both seem like genuinely insightful and emotional mature people.

      I’m also kind of wondering if perhaps this is part of the reason he had the meeting with the Queen at Frogmore during his statue trip. Besides just visiting, but giving her a heads up about the book plan and maybe even a secret sneak peak.

  7. Becks1 says:

    To me, so much of this goes back to what Meghan said in the interview – how can the firm expect her to remain silent when they continue to brief against her in the press (on an almost daily basis.)

    None of us know what Harry will say in this book. Maybe he’ll reveal all the Windsors’ dirty secrets, maybe he’ll be like “I was born a royal, now I’m in California, the end.”

    But I dont know how the royals can be so surprised at this when they can’t just shut up about Harry and Meghan for one damn day.

    • Seraphina says:

      Agreed Becks and IMO to add to that we have the press/media. They have played (and continue to play) such a big part in stroking the fire in all this drama. But when the BRF can’t shut them down when they were bullying Meghan – now one of their own…..FAMILY, that’s what the BRF deserve: constantly having Meghan and Harry pushed into their faces and in return more support for the Sussex family.
      BUT that makes one wonder, what does agreement has been in place between the two (because Meghan stated as much).

  8. Snuffles says:

    “ There has never been a royal memoir, and this is the stuff of nightmares for the palace.”

    COMPLETE. FUCKING. LIE.

  9. My3cents says:

    Yes! I am here for it. Let them all live in fear until it’s published.

  10. yokoohno says:

    I recently read an old blog post from this site from about 2012 about the Cambridges. It was all about how they love to stay home and cook and watch dvds, lol. Oh and by the way, Harry is part of the party set and goes out partying all the time. Of course this site called that out, that it was a spin by the Cambridges to use Harry to deflect from their lack of work. But Harry has been thrown under the bus by the institution and his relatives for a looong time before he even met Meghan.

    I’m so interested in what his actual story is, and I can imagine he wants there to be a public record even just so his children have something later to combat all the lies and/or exaggerations about him. (Since he is a historical figure, I think he’s totally entitled to contribute to the historical record on him.)

    Also, I really hate how the british media keep gaslighting all of us with their BS. It’s painful to watch. And on another post about this memoir, commenters are saying “why does he need to keep sharing” – oh my god how ridiculous. This is precisely why, because there is a large scale gaslighting project going on, and while they keep spinning lies he will keep shouting the truth, and more power to him.

    When you’ve been gaslighted so significantly and you start to peel it back and live in “your own truth” as cheesy as that sounds, it is such a surreal feeling and there’s an urge to really shout the truth and just so much less patience for people who want to live in the lies. Go Harry!

    • Amy Bee says:

      You bring up an excellent point about Harry perhaps wanting there to be a public record of his life to this point for his children. They are going to find all these articles about him that are not true. I could imagine he went through the same thing as a child and had a difficult trying to find the true story about his mother.

      • Truthiness says:

        100%. He has been denied a voice for so long, why not write for posterity and for his children? Just so many reasons to do this. This is a guy who gets death threats and has experiences in public that mirror Diana’s, who was hounded to her death. Perhaps he needs to write about his mother before the memories are too distant to recall, or perhaps this is therapeutic.

    • SarahCS says:

      I agree, I cam completely understand his desire to get it all out in his own words and in writing. Why shouldn’t he?

      I also have a feeling that it will be just what it’s being pitched as, the story of his life and growth without going out of his way to attack anyone else. So he can talk about how he actually was spending his time and how he was feeling without outright calling out the Cambridges but still making his point clear – to go to your example.

      He’s had lies printed about him his whole life, who wouldn’t want to get their own story out, particularly when he’s been muzzled for most of it by the institution he was born into and having a be a human shield for his waste of space older brother.

  11. Silent Star says:

    Everything about the “Firm” and its media machine is like an abusive spouse. And they really hate it when their victim calls them out publicly. Watch for denials, gaslighting, turning the blame on the victim, and preemptively making the victim look like a liar.

  12. Marie says:

    +1, lol

    Edit – This comment was in response to another poster, but since it wasn’t complimentary to the author it has since been deleted.

  13. Merricat says:

    As they say, if you didn’t want to be a villain in my story, you should have treated me better.

    No more the fall guy for Harry. Good for him.

    • MrsRobinson says:

      Agree completely. The RF is now reaping what they sowed.

    • Moira's Rose's Garden says:

      You beat me too it. I was going to quote Annie Lamott:

      “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”

  14. Liz says:

    It’s interesting to me that this of all stories has brought the trolls to CB. Are you a hate reader who typically doesn’t comment? What about this story made you want to comment? Or did you come from Twitter- but, again, why this story?

    ETA: this was in response to a comment that has been deleted but is applicable to @Marie as well

  15. Over it says:

    One book coming out next fall will destroy poor Betty celebrations. I mean if she is still standing after day 1 of her four day extravaganza, then the gin is really good. I love it when these rr rats make money off Harry and Meghan and then get mad when Harry and Meghan make money off themselves by telling the truth.
    I guess bad daddy Charles should have been a good daddy.
    I will be laughing when Harry book bypassed the palace dirt and focuses on his life his experiences his growth.

  16. Jumpingthesnark says:

    Celebitchy book club!!!! Who is up for it??? What do you think CB and Kaiser?

  17. Amy Bee says:

    The Royal Family only have themselves to blame. This is the result of the neglect, abuse and smearing of Harry over years by the Palace in collaboration with the press. The worst part is the Palace still hasn’t realized that it is responsible for this outcome. As for those who were concern trolling in the earlier posts, I get it. You’ve become a victim of gaslighting by the press and royalists who don’t want Harry to tell his story.

  18. NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

    I think Kaiser has great advice for all of them on The Isle of Salt but I also think it’s good advice for Harry too. Early in my career, I produced a segment for tv about vets in recovery from the Iraq War. One thing they said was constant mention about the war in the media triggered them. I can only imagine all the stories being the same for Harry, even if he has the discipline to avoid them. Once this book is done, Harry should step back from adding anything further to this. Let the book speak for itself and end the need to bring these royal issues up in relation to himself and exit the royal conversation. This book has the potential to change the tone of royal gossip forever. Let it and be done with it. As far as his family, it’s not Harry’s job to cover up for their bad behavior and how dare they foisted that responsibility on to him.

    • Carmen-JamRock says:

      Why do randoms from…wherever, feel they have the right to tell a complete stranger how to live and have his being in the world? Its soo effing exasperating. Folks should pay attention to their own effed up lives and leave others who are obviously doing the work on their own life.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        What does it matter what I say? Harry will never read it. I may not actually know Harry but it never hurts to tell anyone to take a deep breath and step back when entering a stressful situation. My own effed up life as you put it is exactly why I say what I say. When you do the work and you see someone else on a similar path, you can help them even if they’ll never read it. It also helps you keep your life in perspective and remind a person of how far you’ve come.

      • Jane's Wasted Talent says:

        NotSoSimpleTaylor- Just dropping in to say that I always enjoy your posts- it’s interesting getting the European (and foreign press) perspectives.

    • Demi says:

      I imagine the bulk of this book is about his time in the military many veterans don’t speak much about their experiences till the war is over& for security reasons now that the troops have been withdrawn & sent home maybe he feels it’s time to share his experience. The media can’t spin everything into negative one thing they can’t twist is his time in the military.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      I wouldn’t be surprised if H did move on to other projects once the book is published. H&M have so many projects that they’re working on and they must be very excited. I really think this book will be an interesting read because it allows people to get to know the person Harry has become and journey to get there. The brf tends to think that the world revolves around it, so they have difficulty thinking he could write a book that won’t have the family or Firm as the center of the universe. I agree that it is reprehensible that the family is giving him the responsibility to cover up for them.

  19. Anastasia says:

    My favorite thing about this is that it wouldn’t have any effect on The Firm until after it came out if the media didn’t do all of this nonsense.

  20. Plums says:

    I think this blanket horrified reaction is the rota lashing out at the reality that their ability to make their living writing fanfiction “biographies” and being consulted as experts who have an inside track about these people and this institution is being thrown wholesale into the trash by Harry writing his own story. He’s absolutely doing it on purpose; he has always absolutely fucking hated them.

  21. ElleE says:

    @Kaiser has the best pics, hands down.

    IMHO? Harry isn’t going to “stick” it to anyone in the 1,000 year old cult he was born into. The only collateral damage of the unvarnished truth of whatever limited story he’ll tell will be that it won’t be limited to the cartoon character created for us; that story won’t sell anymore.

    -gentle child
    -nazi Halloween costume (which was scary in England at one time and it isn’t as if he wore this kit to a wedding)
    -drunk, st@n teen, 20-something
    -mentally-unstable angry person

    That’s it, that Harry for ya’, except that it isn’t Harry, it isn’t the royals, and a LOT OF PEOPLE, in media, in government, in diplomatic circles, those that use the royals to facilitate arms deals, etc. are headed for the poor house lololololololololol. Just like Britney said, “I think that they’ve exploited my life and my personal information long enough.”

    • Amanda says:

      Let’s not downplay Nazi cosplay. Let’s really not.

      “It isn’t as if he wore this kit to a wedding”… just no. Please don’t.

      • Marie says:

        +1

        Very telling about how extreme the hero worship of Harry and Meghan is by some people on this board.

        cue the troll comments…..

      • Merricat says:

        No, indeed. No downplaying, just more details.

      • NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

        No that was wrong and even Harry will probably devote a chapter to mea culpa-ing to that incident.

  22. Vanessa says:

    A lot of These Royal Reporters make so much money on The Royals daily how many of them used this to further their career and line their pockets. They know once Harry book comes out it game over for them no one will buy their books anymore especially about Harry they will become Irrelevant . I don’t think Harry will expose the royal family but the royal reporters every time they criticized and attack Meghan and Harry the truth comes out a lot more .

  23. J ferber says:

    First thought: put your security team on high alert, Harry. So sorry about your toxic family. Many people have them (raising my hand). It’s never easy. Secondly, the royals are terrified for a reason. Their own behaviors, misdeeds and crimes, hidden in closets for years, will fly out shrieking to stun and haunt the world.

  24. lee says:

    This is exactly why he was right to leave the gilded cage. Here is a grown man, paying his own bills, who is expected to clear everything he does with his granny and dad. The same granny and dad who kicked him out the palace in the first place. But dont worry royalists. Dont you always tell us, no one wants to hear from Harry and Meghan? You have nothing to fear?

  25. February-Pisces says:

    I’m so excited to read this, I literally can’t wait. I wish there wasn’t such a long wait, mostly because the trash tabloids won’t shut up about it until it’s released. But I’m glad harry is gonna put those so-called experts, who insist on writing books about him, out of business. This will be the only harry book worth reading. Can’t wait.

  26. Jaded says:

    “…the increasingly LURID headlines that Harry and Meghan seem intent on generating as they spill the intimate and private details of their lives…” What the what?!

    The dictionary defines the word lurid as “shocking because of the involvement of violence, sex, or immoral activity”. That actually should be applied to Willnot’s drunken dad dancing with hot blondes, his liaison with a neighbour’s wife, and non-stop philandering. Oh, and let’s not forget Chuck’s lurid tampongate with Camilla and the numerous other mistresses he’s dallied with.

  27. serena says:

    We all know who started with the lurid headlines, these reporters really have no shame. They’re all getting their panties in a twist because they’re scared Harry will out someone, lol, I WISH.

  28. Catherine says:

    How horribly must people behave to be terrified of a memoir after all the tabloids have sat about them?

  29. Margaret says:

    I keep hearing about the nazi uniform advent, the prince had handlers, aides and family, why was he set up like that?. I read willie went in blackface, and strangely crickets on that. Also read willie recommended the costume, joker that he is. Shades of the delivery man joke, maybe?.

  30. Liz version 700 says:

    Thank you Kaiser. This is precisely why I can’t stop laughing at them. The RR and Windsor’s complain about Harry and try to paint H& M as attention seeking drama queens when every single story has been them briefing obsessive about the Sussexes. H&M gave 1 interview jointly and Harry did 3 interviews as a mental health advocate. You should have treated your own child like he mattered….now I laugh at moment of discomfort that the Windsors feel.

  31. Gubbinal says:

    I suspect that the book will be a helping sort of book in which he describes the things that made him who he is: the military experience; the Invictus Games, the mental health initiatives. Along the way he may well critique the way that Royal children are plucked away from what should be a happy childhood and confused by engorged crowds. I think he may discuss the artificiality of being a prince or a princess who is encouraged to wave but discouraged from introspection. The essence will be kindness. I think he might write about his mother, grandmother, wife, and mother-in-law. I think it will not spill much tea but will spill a bit about the anxieties of royalty and the randomness of being born into it. Insights without bitterness.

    • Prairiegirl says:

      This would be the best possible approach. Take the high road.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      I agree with your assessment, Gubbinal. Sounds more in line with what was written on the Archewell sight. The idea of some members of the Firm and BM throwing out their backs playing the Twister guessing game is a bit entertaining and foolhardy on their part.

  32. 809Matriarch says:

    Meghan said in the O Interview, that she didn’t understand how that family and the institution could expect her and Harry to stay silent when they (the Institution) were perpetuating FALSEHOODS against them. The smearing of them and Meghan in particular has been every day, NON-STOP from the press weaponizing disgruntled envious relatives to Kate allowing a lie to fester and stoke Meghan hatred, to Angela Levin using a brief interview with Harry to pontificate and spout lies…
    I mean even earlier this month we were all treated to William allowing the leak that he THREW MEGHAN OUT and he wanted Harry gone so he wouldn’t have to have that BLOODY WOMAN around. Nobody should be expected to put up with the constant attempted murder of their character by family and national press.

  33. jferber says:

    Just a thought: why announce the book to give Harry’s family more time to trash talk him and his family? Just release the book in 2022. He may be thinking of the health of his grandmother, but the courtiers would block any “upsetting” news from her anyway. Give no warnings. Just act.

    • Jais says:

      It was leaked to page 6 so random house and archwell made statements. This was not the original timeline. I’m sure they would have preferred to do just that.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      News of the book leaked to Page Six from the publisher, and the publisher was forced to follow up with an announcement confirming. I can guarantee 100% that Harry didn’t want it announced so early. The plan was probably to announce it shorty before the publishing date, but it was a risk doing this project with a NYC publisher, because Page Six apparently has lots of sources in that town.

      • Feeshalori says:

        From what l read on Lainey, it was someone in the ghostwriter’s camp who leaked to page 6 and they went to the publisher for confirmation. The publisher then had to issue the press release.

  34. AnneSurely says:

    I’m calling bs on Charles’ folks finding out from reporters. If they had ACTUALLY been surprised, we never would have known it. These are comms professionals faking surprise for the cameras, trying to make Harry look like a renegade who is being mean to his doting father. And they suck at it. Completely transparent.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      Yep, just like when they announced they were stepping back-the palaces and, more importantly, the Queen knew for quite some time. Then all the faux hurt, disappointed, “blindsided” commentary followed.

  35. Layla says:

    Who gives a sh*t about a stupid jubilee party? Cases are rising again in the U.K.!!!!!

  36. Christine says:

    “Family members accept that they have no sway over the increasingly lurid headlines that Harry and Meghan seem intent on generating as they spill the intimate and private details of their lives, but that doesn’t mean they like it.”

    I can’t. This is how unhinged they are on DAY ONE of Harry’s book leak? Hiya, Harry and Meghan tried really, REALLY hard to be successful as working royals. See: Everything they did while they lived in England, and, not for nothing, everything they have done here in the U.S., which far surpasses anything any of the other royals have done in the same amount of time.

    All they asked was to be treated with love and respect by their FAMILY, and they didn’t even ask for that, they just withdrew across an ocean once it became clear that was never going to happen.