Princess Eugenie & Beatrice ‘stunned’ by Prince Harry’s tell-all book deal despite remaining close to Sussexes
PRINCESSES Eugenie and Beatrice are reportedly “stunned” by Prince Harry’s tell-all book deal. Harry, 36, is set to publish his explosive memoir which he vowed will examine the “highs and lows” of his extraordinary life. Members of the Royal Family are now waiting to see what the duke will write about them. A senior royal reportedly told […]
PRINCESSES Eugenie and Beatrice are reportedly “stunned” by Prince Harry’s tell-all book deal.
Harry, 36, is set to publish his explosive memoir which he vowed will examine the “highs and lows” of his extraordinary life.
Members of the Royal Family are now waiting to see what the duke will write about them.
A senior royal reportedly told the Daily Mail: “The emotional turmoil as they wait over a year for publication is going to be torturous.
“What’s really telling is even the relatives he remains closest to, like princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, are stunned by what he’s up to.”
Eugenie has long been close with her first cousin and is said to have played a key role in Harry meeting his wife Meghan Markle.
Eugenie is believed to be the only member of the Royal Family to have maintained a special relationship with the Sussexes since they moved to Los Angeles.
There are also reportedly concerns about how his dad Charles’ wife Camilla Parker-Bowles will be represented in the book.
“Let’s be honest, Harry has never been close to the Duchess of Cornwall,” the source said.
“If he documents their fraught relationship in the book it could be very damaging at a time when Charles is laying the groundwork for her to become Queen.”
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Harry has signed a four-book deal with his publishers that may be worth up to £29million – with the second to be released after the Queen’s death.
The book will be put out during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
His lucrative deal – worth up to a potential £29million – with publishers Penguin Random House involves four books.
The second of those books is due out only after the Queen has died, the Daily Mail reported.
Industry insiders reportedly said the “tell-all” premise of Harry’s memoir was just the “tip of the iceberg”.
Two publishers reportedly flew out from London to Harry’s home in California and took part in an ‘auction’ for the rights to his book.
A source told the Mail: “He conducted negotiations – he had a very ‘take it or leave it’ attitude.
“His starting price was $25m (£18m) and the final figure was way north of that, possibly as much as $35 to 40m (£25-29m).
“Those involved were actually very shocked by his approach, which was to look at them coldly and state his demands: $25million.”
Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, 39, is also set to write a “wellness” guide as part of the contract with the publisher.
‘GONE ROGUE’
It comes as a royal expert said Harry has well and truly “gone rogue” by announcing he is writing a memoir.
Richard Fitzwilliams fears the “totally unpredictable” Duke of Sussex could use the book as “leverage” against the royals.
Despite being 18 months away, its release is already threatening to widen the family rift and put the royal celebration in turmoil.
The Palace has allegedly been warned they “should be afraid” of what’s to come from it.
And Fitzwilliams agrees, stating that Harry could use it as a weapon against the Firm to get what he wants – although what that is remains unclear.
He told The Sun Online: “Its mere existence is a form of a lever to potentially use against the royal family in whatever is to come.
“This book has the potential to be dynamite.
“But the thing is, what do the Sussexes really want from the royal family next? What do they want them to do?
“They have gone rogue. It is a fact. It’s incredibly worrying because they are so totally unpredictable. Anything is possible.”
FIRM FRETTING
He added that the memoir announcement has “complicated matters” for the Firm, and “that in itself is a very worrying development”.
And he thinks the whole family will be walking on eggshells until the currently untitled book is published so as not to feature in a negative light.
“They’re constantly going to wondering ‘will this be leaked to anyone?’ and secondly ‘is it going to appear in the book?’,” he said.
The royal commentator also blasted Harry’s choice of release date.
He said: “It is deplorable that he would time his book’s release during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.
“It will hang over all events. Nothing should detract from what is happening during the commemoration of the monarch’s service.
“To do this now, to do anything that is controversial during the Jubilee, is just extraordinary.”
The memoir will detail Harry’s life as a member of the Royal Family, his relationship with wife Meghan Markle, Megxit and raising his children.
It is set for release in 2022 – as Her Majesty celebrates 70 years of service.
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Harry is working with Pulitzer Prize-winner J R Moehringer, who has written memoirs for tennis legend Andre Agassi and Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
He signed with publisher Penguin Random House and will be donating any fee to charity after making tens of millions of dollars with Netflix and Spotify.
Although Fitzwilliams said: “Harry wants to raise money for charity, but the way to raise money for charity is not by dishing the dirt on the royal family and it’s not attacking your own family.”