Is the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir being delayed until 2023?

Post-Jubbly, the British media has nothing to hold over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s heads. There’s no big event coming up which Harry & Meghan simply “must” come to and/or be excluded from. I mean, if we’re being honest and somewhat macabre, the next big event would arguably be the Queen’s funeral. But you know, nothing on the actual schedule. Which is why the British media is still doing the most to feign outrage over Harry’s memoir. Harry only confirmed that he was writing a memoir last year, when there were some mysterious leaks about it in the Murdoch press. Initially, we heard that the publication was loosely scheduled for late autumn 2022. Then in May of this year, the publisher confirmed to the Times of London that the book didn’t have a publication date yet and the book wasn’t on any of the fall release schedules. Now the Sun claims that the publication has been pushed back to 2023.

The release of Prince Harry’s “heartfelt” life story, started in 2020, looks like it has been delayed. Royal insiders were surprised to learn the memoir — expected to open new family wounds — was not on its publisher’s list of upcoming books. Penguin Random House said previously that the as yet unnamed autobiography would be out this autumn.

Duke of Sussex Harry, 37, has been researching the book which is being ghostwritten by Pulitzer Prize-winning author JR Moehringer.

Harry has kept a lid on the contents and told only the Queen, 96, that he was working on it before it was announced last summer.

A royal insider said: “If this book’s coming out this year as originally planned it should be in the publisher’s marketing and promotional list — unless they’re planning a surprise or there’s been a delay. Its omission has raised lots of eyebrows in royal circles.”

A spokeswoman for Transworld, part of Penguin Random House, told The Sun on Sunday: “We don’t put every book on the list so there is nothing to be extrapolated from that.”

[From The Sun]

Is this just another version of the May story in the Times? I think it might be. I think the Sun is just regurgitating old news with the new quote about “raised lots of eyebrows in royal circles.” As I think we’ve seen in recent years, the royals don’t know sh-t about how anything works in America or in the regular world, so their eyebrows tend to “raise” about a lot of different, stupid things. But I do wonder WTF is going on with this memoir. I feel like Harry has probably completed writing it, so it is just a matter of the publisher A) trying to figure out if they have any legal liability and B) figuring out the best time to release the book where it will make the biggest splash. As for the delay… it reminds me of Harry’s AppleTV series, The Me You Can’t See. That suffered multiple delays and the British media thought the delays would mean it was some kind of dud, and the series ended up being amazing and incredibly newsworthy. I’ve been lowkey wondering if Harry’s memoir will end up being like The Me You Can’t See: The Book.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instar.

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64 Responses to “Is the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir being delayed until 2023?”

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  1. equality says:

    Not putting it on the list will lead to more speculation and interest than putting it on the list? Could be an astute move by the publisher.

  2. FC says:

    I think Harry is pushing the release until after the Queen dies. He saw how frail she was in June. She’s the only person he respects in that family so releasing and promoting a book when she’s on death’s door isn’t ideal.

    When he does publish, he’s going to promote the shit out of it so it would be worth it for him to wait.

    • Amy Bee says:

      If that was true he wouldn’t have done the Oprah or the Today interview.

      • FC says:

        One interview/mental health tv series is different from a month-long book tour.

      • Amy Bee says:

        @FC: I’m not sure what’s the difference. He’s showed in the past that he has no qualms about talking about his life despite his grandparents’ health so why would he stop now? The Queen was fine to go on with her life and with her staff bad mouthing Harry in the press. Anyway I doubt there will be a month long press tour for his book.

    • MsIam says:

      The queen could live another 10 years, I doubt if that has anything to do with it. He did the Oprah interview and The Me You Can’t See while she’s still alive so I can’t see him postponing this book for that reason. The Sussexes have been pretty open about why they left this whole time, no need to spare the queen’s feelings now.

      • Jan90067 says:

        I’ve always had a suspicion that TQ had a pacemaker put in when she was hospitalized that time in Oct. last year. She’d been having falls, etc. My dad was like that, beginning around 90, starting having a few falls, getting frailer…. We took him to the dr. who noticed the irregular heartbeat. Put in a pacemaker and he’s been fine as far as his heart (still frail though, and uses a wheelchair now, but that’s due to leg/back issues, and has other cognitive issues now as well).

        Pacemakers last 10 years! Liz *could* be around for a lot longer like her mother, if that’s the case!

    • Ginger says:

      She is frail but could still live another 5 years. I don’t think his publishing house will want to wait 5 years. I am sure he was paid a very nice advance for his book and they want to make that money back. Plus, it’s not like his book is going to be a burn book on the family. That’s what they tabloids think.

      • BothSidesNow says:

        @ Ginger, that is the sticking point here, all of these raised eyebrows are simply the simpletons on Salty Island of Petty and Jealous are in the dark. They have NO idea what is in the book but we all know what is in in the book. Harry is writing a memoir of his life, nothing more, nothing less.

        The BM is incapable of keeping Harry’s name out of their publications.

        Why are they not writing about BoZo Johnson and he massive renovation to No. 10?

    • HennyO says:

      Harry gave a statement already to debunck the ‘will publish only after the queen has died’ narrative. So, it serves no good to keep using that tabloid narrative.

    • BeanieBean says:

      No, nobody waits until grandma dies to do anything. That’s tabloid nonsense. His life continues, no matter what’s happening with hers.

  3. MsIam says:

    I wonder if its delayed because so much keeps happening. Invictus resuming after a two year delay, the Jubbly and the security fight would all have some behind the scenes juicyness that they might want to include in the book. Anyway, I’m eager to read this whenever it comes out.

    • Shawna says:

      That would definitely please the press; waiting for that new material is a reason for delay that they’d approve.

      But of course, publishing has been crazy since the pandemic. There are three books that my work appears in that should’ve been out in 2021 but have all been delayed to 2023. It’s everything from trying to find copy editors to sourcing enough paper.

    • HennyO says:

      There is no delay at this point. It’s mid 2022. Please don’t fall for the UK press’ desperate traps reg Harry’s memoir. Just go and read the very initial announcement from the horces’ mouth:
      “Prince Harry, The Duke Of Sussex, will Publish a Literary Memoir with Penguin Random House Globally. The release date of this publication is tentatively scheduled for late 2022.”

      You see, the Publisher said Late!! 2022. Not autumn 2022. And no statements about any delays since then, which is the UK media narrative.

      Also, the Publisher never gave any statements to The Times in May 2022. What The Times did was to use a part of the only statement the Publisher made, in which they said that their will be ‘a later date’ for additional publishing territories, and the fact that the statement read that late 2020 is a ‘tentstive’. That was last year. And the paper made believe as if the publisher gave them an update and was talking to them exclusively. Nothing of that happened.

      Same as this time around, as The Sun (and other tabs/mags) are pretending again that the Publisher gives them
      a quote about ‘the memoir not being named on a list of upcoming publications’. No such statement is made by the Publisher. Look it up and you will not find any such thing; not on their website, not by a spokesperson, or their comms departement.

      So go to their website, the global one or the UK one, to read for yourself what they said about Harry’s memoir.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Thank you @HennyO. I was going to post the publisher’s words as a reminder of what they actually said and not what the BM/RR’s/BM owned outlets bleat out. Agree that PRH hasn’t given any statements to The Times (or any of the others). Other than maybe no comment. I remember the months and months of BM stories saying his book was going to come out around the Jubbly. Like where the eff did they get that idea-@sstalk. I admit I thought autumn/fall too at some point- with the understanding that season doesn’t end until Dec. 20th.

    • Ginger says:

      The only one that says the books is delayed is The Sun and other British tabloids. His publisher hasn’t and neither has he. Until we get an official word from them I will continue to believe the book will come out this fall.

  4. Maxine Branch says:

    Whenever this book is released, it will have millions of folks purchasing it. Many of us would love to see Harry speaking for himself about his life. And I might add, a life well lived thus far.

  5. Amy Bee says:

    I mean the Palace keeps giving Harry new material for his book by their actions towards him, no wonder it’s delayed. The press has nothing to talk about so they’ve rehashed this story. Look for more this now that Wimbledon is over. I don’t care when it comes out only that it does come out. The press is hoping that a delay means that it won’t but that’s wishful thinking.

  6. Ginger says:

    All of the big memoirs are released in the fall. I doubt the publishing house wants to wait another year to release his book. I think everything regarding his book is on lock down, especially with the news of it being leaked initially. If his book was delayed they would have said. They are being coy with their response and never said it was delayed. The cover, name and release will all be announced together and probably close to the release date (like Meghan’s book). The press and RF desperately want the book delayed.

    • Amy Bee says:

      @Ginger: I think you’re right.

    • Becks1 says:

      I generally agree with you, except that I don’t think the press wants the book delayed. The british press is DYING for this book to be released, for two reasons in my opinion:

      The first being that they can do the obvious, which is trash Harry and Meghan for months on end because they’re “reviewing the memoir.”

      But the second is that they are really hoping Harry spills some real tea in this book, tea that the RRs might already know, and then they can discuss the stories they WANT to discuss under the guise of “reviewing the memoir.”

      For example, if Harry talks about any kind of exchange made between the press and KP about Meghan and William’s affair (since one theory is that KP told the press they could attack Meghan freely as long as they didn’t report on the affair), then the press can talk about that exchange and talk about William’s affair but they are only bringing it up because of Harry! They didn’t want to talk about it! But harry has talked about it so now there is no choice but to spill all the beans!!

      (to be clear, I really don’t think the name Rose Hanbury will appear in the book once and I don’t think Harry is going to mention his brother’s affairs. I’m just throwing that out there as an easy example of what I think the press is hoping for.)

      • Emme says:

        @Becks1, you nearly gave me heart failure! I read what you put as “ Harry talks about….Meghan and William’s affair…”
        Had to re-read that sentence several times!!

      • Becks1 says:

        oh LOL! I see what you mean. I worded that sentence weirdly (and it took me a few tries to even get that ha.) I just meant that Meghan was used as a sacrificial lamb of sorts to cover up for the “rural rivals” story, I think at least one source has confirmed that.

    • Steph says:

      What’s the reason for a fall release for memoirs? I never really noticed publishing schedules like that. I’ve seen it with movies though.

      • Becks1 says:

        I think its because people are more interested in heavier or thicker books in the winter and/or the idea is that they can make good gifts, since memoirs can be expensive, especially the big ones like from Barack Obama. Like summer is for beach reads and winter is for nonfiction and memoirs? IDK.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        It would be ideal for a just before Christmas release. People can get it for a gift.

  7. Jay says:

    Not only is this the same story, but many CBers who work in publishing mentioned exactly what was quoted here the last time this delay story was floated: that most books would need to appear on publisher’s marketing and promotional list for fall. Are we the royal insiders? 😂

    But Harry’s book doesn’t necessarily need the extra publicity of being on a list, and perhaps releasing excerpts this early risks people forming negative opinions about it?
    Or maybe they won’t be releasing excerpts at all, at least not to rota or Murdoch affiliated media. Now THAT will make them mad.

    I also have a tinfoil theory that the grey men might be purposefully delaying things like fact checking requests or permissions for photos from the archive, but that might be paranoid.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      Your point about Harry’s book not needing the publicity makes me wonder if they left it off the list so as not to overshadow the other books the publisher also wants to sell. I imagine that nothing else would have gotten publicity if his book had been included.

      I still think it’s on track for the fall, especially as the publisher gave a statement explicitly stating that nothing can be inferred by its not being included on the list.

    • GR says:

      @jay – fact-checking would be done through public sources – mainly the media. Photos would be licensed from photo agencies.

  8. Snuffles says:

    Harry’s gonna drop that shit like Beyoncé’s Lemonade album. NO WARNING. That was the royal family won’t have time to pre-spin stuff.

    • Amy Bee says:

      @Snuffles: As Ginger said up post, there wasn’t much promotion for Meghan’s book so they are probably following the same pattern with Harry’s. We only know about Harry’s book because it was leaked to the NY Post. I don’t think Random House wanted that out so soon and it seems like everything about Harry’s book is under lock and key.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      Yup, totally agree. He really doesn’t need any pre-publication publicity for it to become a bestseller. And as Amy Bee points out, they don’t want any more leaks.

      I cannot wait for this book 🔥🎉

  9. Pinkosaurus says:

    I think it’s on schedule and will be released before Christmas. I think the book publisher knows that this will get huge free press when it is announced and want to have it available for preorder when the headlines hit.

  10. Aurora says:

    My hope is that Harry doesn’t hold back in telling his story. Both he & Meghan really need to take the gloves off and give an honest straightforward account of exactly what they were put through. The RF didn’t protect them so I don think they should hold back in outing the racists and vipers who caused them to flee the UK.

    • SussexWatcher says:

      I really hope he burns that institution to the ground (simply by telling the truth). But I think they/Harry will wait until after Liz dies. I don’t think this book will be the one.

      Doesn’t he have a 3 book deal? So maybe the last one will be more about their early years of marriage and fleeing from the sunken place.

      • Kels says:

        @sussexwatcher
        That was Rebecca e and the daily mail and that story was denied by the Sussex camp. She the one that said they had a leadership book together and that then a book for after the Queen dies.

      • Ginger says:

        Exactly,Kels. So why should anyone believe these same tabloids that are saying the book is delayed? They know nothing about this deal.

  11. C-Shell says:

    Harry’s memoir is going to sell like HOTCAKES. A delay, IF THERE IS ONE, will not adversely affect sales. I’d pre-order my copy today, if I could. The ignorant salivating by the BM is entertaining in the extreme, their “royal circles” are themselves, of course. These are the same coconuts who believe incorporating in Delaware (the incorporation capital of the universe) is shady, FFS. Anyway, they can keep whistling past the graveyard all they want, the book is going to happen.

  12. Lili says:

    i reckon the book is finished, and they took Oprah a copy when they went to visit her LoL

  13. Louise177 says:

    I’m surprised that so many people think that Harry’s book is going to be some kind of tabloidy takedown of the Royal family. Obviously they will be talked about but I doubt in a salacious way. It’s about his life not the Royal family. Also I don’t think it was confirmed for fall. I thought it was always a maybe.

    • Laura D says:

      @Lousie177
      I agree. I think it will be about how the palace is run by the courtiers and how trapped he felt having to do what they say, rather than what he wanted. I think that’s why he was so surprised by the yanking of his security. I imagine “they” used security to keep him in line by naming all sorts of threats if he didn’t take them with him. He touched on it during the Oprah interview when he said “the threat hasn’t changed.” I think taking away his security hurt him on so many different levels and it will be interesting to hear how they used it to keep an eye on him. As others have mentioned people like Edward Young ought to be more worried about what Harry has to say than his immediate family.

  14. Kels says:

    I remember Barack’s book was delayed for a couple years cause he took so long to write it but also because he had so much to add.
    I think this is part returning to old stories but I also wouldn’t be surprised if it it delayed because of all the new events that keep happening lol.
    I mean Harry did say in court he just found out a few months ago in his court case that Edward Y was part of deciding if his fam gets security soooo… that’s been a HUGE part of the story since they’ve left so I do wonder if he’s adding some things.
    Either way I’ll be ready to give him all my money.

    • Ginger says:

      If Harry talks about Edward Young then it could already be in the book. He has known about this for a while, we are the ones that recently found out.

      • Jaded says:

        I agree @Ginger. He’s had Young’s number for quite a while, hence the oblique reference to making sure TQ is surrounded by the right people. It was Young who blocked Harry from seeing his gran at the last minute when he was in the UK for the Diana statue unveiling.

  15. Allyn says:

    There’s another explanation — supply chain issues. There’s a serious paper shortage that’s having major impacts on the publishing industry. I have friends with books due out in Q3 and Q4 this year that are now looking at Q1 and Q2 2023 publishing dates in the hope that the paper supply issues might have cleared by then.

    Harry being a prince doesn’t change the paper supply issue. In a sense, it might even make it worse. The worst thing for Penguin Random House would be to print a generious sized first printing, sell out, and then not be able to go back to press for four to six months because the paper supplies aren’t there because the paper until then has been spoken for.

    • Steph says:

      I know the pandemic screwed everything (currently having a hard time with cat food) but I’m re really surprised about publishing. I just figured most ppl read digitally so a paper shortage wouldn’t be a big deal. Guess I’m wrong on that.

      • equality says:

        “According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center on book consumption and book formats, traditional print is still the most popular reading format for both adults and children.”

      • Lady D says:

        For the past six weeks or more, I have been scrambling to find kitty litter. I end up going to three different towns or paying a small fortune for litter. It’s a real pain.

    • BothSidesNow says:

      @ Allyn, excellent reasons. We are all suffering from shortages but now many large box stores are suffering from over stock which is why everyone is having massive sales. The stock intended for Christmas is now filling the shelves. They want it ALL gone!!

  16. K8erade says:

    I can’t help but wonder if the delay is due to the fact after their treatment at the Jubilee that Harry decided to really let go. That’s what I would do if I were him. Speak the WHOLE truth then be done with it. But I’m sure it’s related to understaffing at the publishing houses and legal teams deciding what to put in the book. I honestly can’t wait.

    • equality says:

      That would be funny to picture. Every time a courtier is allowed to leak about H’s family, he adds in another paragraph.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        equality, when I read your comment, I immediately thought of Brittany Spears, “Oops! … I did it again.”

      • Siobhan says:

        I’ve kind of thought/pictured the same. I feel like they’re probably ready to burn the place down after the queen dies at this point. In all honesty, when there were pictures of them going to Oprah’s house not long after the Jubilee – now we don’t know how good friends they are and maybe they do just hang out regularly. But I actually did think/ assume that they might be discussing exclusive interview(s) that he would give her when the book is published. I think it will just be him in the interview(s) this time, which makes sense since it’s his memoir.

  17. Well Wisher says:

    Why is Murdoch’s sun papers so obessed with the publication of Prince Harry’s book?
    Now that Johnson has resigned, one would think that he would relish the position to select his replacement. The combo of non-domiciled newspapers owners in collaboration with the Barclays should be busy choosing the next Prime Minister.
    How many PM in how many years? Democracy at its best?
    Maybe this is just a distraction, not a cheap tactic to illicit leaks about the RF.
    The most important thing to remember is, the information concerning this book was prematurely leak to a former sun employee.
    That date for publication was “not set in stone”.
    I am truly at a loss at the sun, is it greed?envy? based on the fetishizing of profits, trying to capture the high of a scoop or all of the above.

  18. Kathryn says:

    Are we going to talk about the podcast? There was the whole press push for Archetypes, that it would be out this summer. I mean it’s already almost mid-July and crickets. Also when the last promo came out it seemed like Meghan only was doing it when the holiday episode included Harry. Very well could be initiated by H+M but it does feel as though they might be pushing back/stepping away from some things. Hmm..

    • Robin Samuels says:

      The first day of summer was June 21, ending in September! It’s July 12. I’m confident the guests have calendar obligations that she must adhere to also. Patience, it’s coming.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Spotify wouldn’t have said it would be out this Summer unless it would be out this Summer. Since we’ve got about 2 1/2 months left, I’m sure we’re going to see it drop soon.

  19. Robin Samuels says:

    What happened to the concept of reading comprehension? Because a book doesn’t appear on a list, certain parties (British media) start speculating. For them is more like wishful thinking. Coming from others, it’s like stop listening to the Carnival of Clowns. They don’t know any more than you. Read the original statement from Penguin Publishing. It states late 2022, which would be between September and December. Harry is not writing a tell-all; he’s writing a memoir. Royal reporters and family members are sitting on pins and needles, hoping he doesn’t mention their names. In the Oprah interview, Harry refused to state who spoke about Archie’s skin color and declared he would never discuss that conversation. Harry is more protective of the firm than they are of him. I don’t believe ‘spilling the tea’ is the objective of this memoir, though many wish otherwise. There may be references to incidents without connecting specific names.
    Him waiting until the Queen dies – balderdash! Last week he called out her Secretary, who was instrumental in removing his security, jeopardizing their safety, and creating the reason for the judicial review. That was a significant move. One may note the absence of a rebuttal from Mr. Young. Did he relay the information to the family, or did he take it upon himself to make the ultimate decision? Is he the one who denied Meghan access to mental health counseling? Stay tuned, As The World Turns.
    If I’m not mistaken, there is a four books deal with Penguin Random House. Meghan released The Bench; there’s the anticipated memoir and two more!

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Robin Samuels, the publisher never said there was more than Harry’s book coming out. Tht was the bm.

  20. AC says:

    When it comes out, I am buying it! I cannot wait!