PRINCE Harry is being “disrespectful” to the Queen by releasing his memoir in her Platinum Jubilee year, a royal expert has said.
The 36-year-old has revealed he has been secretly writing a book about his life, timed for publication during Her Majesty’s 70th year of service.
In language bound to cause panic within the Firm, Harry promised to examine the “highs and lows” of his extraordinary life as a royal, which culminated in his bitter “Megxit” split.
And Publisher Penguin Random House said the autobiography would be “honest” and “intimate” – sparking fears of more revelations after his Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan accused the royals of racism.
But to make matters worse, the currently untitled memoir is set to be released in 2022 during the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee year, when all eyes should be on her.
Royal expert Phil Dampier blasted Harry’s decision to release the book then as “disrespectful”.
He told HOAR Online: “If Harry had any intention to patch things up, he would appreciate that the next year should be really concentrated on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
“To release his book in the same year as that is disrespectful.
“The timing couldn’t be worse.”
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
It comes as…
- Prince Charles was ‘surprised’ by Harry’s explosive tell-all memoir as Palace officials had no idea about book
- The duke ‘scrambled to tell his family about memoir “moments” before book news was announced – blindsiding Charles’
- Harry ‘received £14.5m advance for memoir’ and will donate proceeds to charity
- Piers Morgan blasts Harry’s upcoming memoir as he rants ‘he hasn’t stopped yapping all year’
- ‘Hugely damaging’ memoir ‘will spark mayhem & deepen royal rift’, say experts
- Meghan Markle will write most of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, royal photographer claims
- Harry ‘risks looking like a traitor’ and Charles is ‘top of his list to smash’
In a statement from his £11million mansion in Montecito, California, Harry said he was writing the book “not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become”.
He continued: “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.
“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 first-hand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”
The duke will be donating any fee to charity after making tens of millions of dollars with Netflix and Spotify.
But the tell-all tome is likely to worsen Harry’s already fractured relationship with William and Charles, according to Phil.
‘WHEN WILL IT END?’
The author, who has been writing about the royal family for 30 years, said: “This book is not going to make the rift any better.
“Clearly it is as bad as ever. If he was healing the rift with his family, particularly his brother, he wouldn’t be coming out with this book, which is clearly going to cause more hurt.”
He said his brother and father, as well as Her Majesty, must be “in despair” as they wait to find out what Harry has written about them.
Phil, who penned Royally Suited: Harry & Meghan in their own words, said: “The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William must be thinking: ‘When is this ever going to end?’
“It is just a non-stop rollercoaster of output from [Harry and Meghan]. They must be in despair.
“It just makes you wonder what’s coming next.”
He fears a memoir by Meghan could be on the cards as it is just one “money-making exercise after the next”.
Phil said: “Although Harry’s giving the money from this one to charity, obviously a lot of the other things he and Meghan have been doing have been money-making exercises.
“It makes you wonder what’s coming next. Who knows, Meghan will probably write her memoir as well.
“She’s already tried to cash in with her children’s book – we were never told the money from The Bench, was going to charity – so there is definitely still that option for her to do a book.”
But, despite any backlash, he doesn’t think the monarch will strip Harry and Meghan of their titles “because she doesn’t want to make the situation worse”.
Phil added: “I think she will just hope that eventually, at some point, they burn themselves out and realise that there is a life beyond all this moaning and they can get on with doing something else, something more positive.”
BACKLASH
Last night there were howls of derision from critics after biographer Omid Scobie tweeted that Harry was “ready to tell his story”.
Piers Morgan, using crying laughing emojis, replied: “Ready to tell his story? Prince Privacy hasn’t stopped yapping, whining & trashing his family all bloody year.”
And royal biographer Ingrid Seward added: “I find it extraordinary that Harry feels the need to do this.”
The prince is said to be working with Pulitzer Prize-winner J R Moehringer, who has written memoirs for tennis legend Andre Agassi and Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
A first draft is nearly completed, with a likely publication at the end of 2022.
Buckingham Palace and Harry’s representatives have been contacted for comment.
