It’s been over a year since the release of Prince Harry’s explosive memoir Spare – and with the publishers desperate for an extra chapter, we’re told the former royal is under pressure to dish more dirty details on his family.
When Spare was released back in January 2023, it saw Harry, 39, drop a number of allegations regarding his time in the royal family. Alongside branding his stepmother Queen Camilla, 77, “wicked,” Harry also alleged that comments from Kate Middleton, 42, left Meghan Markle, also 42, sobbing on her wedding day.
Yet despite being over 12 months down the line, a paperback version of the bestselling book is yet to be released – with Harry’s publishers now urging him to churn out an exclusive extra chapter to turn the potential paperback release into an exciting prospect. And with expectations mounting for the duo to dig up even more dirt on the British royal family, we’re told Harry and Meghan are both feeling the pressure to perform.
Our source says, “It’s got to be a tough spot for Harry to be in, because the publisher is putting a ton of pressure on him to deliver some more salacious details on the royals. It’s not exactly like his family have been very forgiving, so no doubt there’s some feeling on Harry’s part that he’s got nothing left to lose… But if he wants any chance of a relationship, he’d be a fool to cave.
“The royals still can’t believe some of the things Harry said in his book, and it will go down in history as one of the biggest betrayals of the monarchy in modern memory. For him to rub salt in the wounds again for his own personal gain would send him so far into the doghouse that there’d be no way back – it would ruin any chance of reconciliation.”
Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace adopted a hard-line “no comment” position on the memoir – but this didn’t stop insiders from revealing that the book, which was said to have pocketed £16million, had left many inside the Firm fuming. We’re told, “Harry is still extremely defiant about his book, and he insists that telling his truth was something he needed to do, whatever the repercussions. Looking back, he could have gone easier on Kate and dialled back his obvious disdain towards Camilla, but all in all, he’s pleased with the way it turned out. He always assumed that the first edition of Spare would be something of a template for him to re-release and add to in the years that followed.”
But, according to our source, it’s not proving quite so simple to come up with worthy content. “The harsh reality is that there’s very little to include at this point besides his experience being ostracised by the royals,” we’re told. “Sure, he and Meghan could describe their love story more, but it’s not as though they could really brag about how they’ve conquered Hollywood or won over the liberal US political elite. Any additional material would be construed as tame, and the fact publishers aren’t lining up to write him a big cheque tells its own story as far as the perceived marketability.”
But while the Duke’s paperback re-release may not prove to be the sensational update publishers hope, his wife may just save the day. It’s been reported in recent months that Meghan is planning to follow in her husband’s footsteps with her own memoir on her time inside the Palace. And according to royal expert Tom Bower, the book may well be underway already – with Meghan simply biding her time when it comes to release dates.
Tom says, “I’m sure Meghan’s penning [the memoir], she’s such a good writer, and it will be filled with vitriol. This is the ultimate weapon that she can deploy,” adding, “Whenever they need the money, whenever they need publicity to stoke their reputation, they will drop another bomb.”