Prince in bid for urgent changes
In the wake of the Queen’s death, it seems Prince Harry is panicking over his tell-all soon-to-be-published book, for which he has already received a sizeable advance.
The prince is reportedly desperate to ensure last-minute changes are made before the memoir – worth $A59m – goes to print.
The Duke of Sussex has already been paid half of the multimillion-dollar deal and his latest move comes amid fears some sections are now “insensitive”, The Sun reports.
With Harry’s father Charles taking the throne and the official mourning period coming to an end after the Queen’s death, sources say the prince fears parts of the “wholly truthful” memoir will be deemed insensitive so soon after his grandmother’s death.
While the 38-year-old has had no trouble speaking out against his royal family, including a tell-all interview with his wife Meghan Markle for an Oprah Winfrey exclusive, he is now trying to rein in his next instalment.
Despite contacting publishers about changes, the book has been signed off and is expected to be on sale by the end of the year. Sources told The Sun that Penguin Random House paid half the $58.8m upfront, knowing the book’s contents would lead to massive sales.
While the panicked prince isn’t out to completely rewrite the memoir, sources say “he is desperate to get it refined in the light of the Queen’s death, her funeral and his father Charles taking the throne”.
With publishers disappointed in the first draft because it was “a bit too emotional and focused far more on mental health issues than they wanted”, the source says much has gone into the final draft to ensure it comes out this year.
Harry and Meghan were in the UK for charity events when the Queen passed away.
The memoir has been ghostwritten by US novelist JR Moehringer, whose 2009 autobiography on tennis ace Andre Agassi featured attacks on his parents and upbringing.