Prince Harry commented on the prospect of a Prince William memoir while promoting his own book in a 2023 interview.
In January 2023, while at the center of a media frenzy, the Duke of Sussex sat down with Michael Strahan for an interview with ABC News.
The chat followed interviews with 60 Minutes and the British network ITV. The Spanish edition of the prince’s memoir, Spare, had been accidentally put on sale early, and hastily translated passaged spread like wildfire through the British media.
As a result, ABC’s bombshell exclusive largely sunk beneath the waves of newspaper headlines and volatile reactions from commentators. Yet, a question Strahan raised prompted a notable response from Harry: the idea that his brother, Prince William, might one day write a book himself.
“You get a chance to tell your story now. Your brother may never have that chance to tell his side of the story,” Strahan said. “Are you sympathetic to that?”
Harry replied, “Yes, and I think, you know, after I’ve done this, the book comes out, I would hope that other members of the family feel as though they can write their own book.”
The suggestion may seem far-fetched given how much Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have said about being silenced by the press office as working royals.
However, it is neither impossible nor unprecedented for members of the royal family to pen memoirs. In fact, before ascending the throne, King Charles III cooperated with an official book, The Prince of Wales: A Biography. It was written by the journalist Jonathan Dimbleby and published in 1994.
The book was based on interviews with Charles, who granted Dimbleby access to his friends and also his private correspondence and documents dating back years.
Spare, likewise, wasn’t written by its subject. Ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer penned Harry’s memoir, meaning the difference between the two royals’ publications may be slimmer than initial appearances would suggest.
Both books, however, may serve as little inspiration for William, as both sparked a backlash over their criticisms of the royal family and some ridicule.
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In Spare, Harry recalled being bundled into a dog bowl by his older brother, whom he described as having “alarming baldness.” He also said his stepmother, Queen Camilla, had “sacrificed” him on her “PR altar.”
In Charles’ case, Dimbleby’s book painted Queen Elizabeth II as largely absent during his young life, apart from half an hour in the morning and 90 minutes at bedtime, while nannies witnessed his first steps and taught him to play.
On Charles’ father, Prince Philip, the book said: “He often seemed intent not merely on correcting the prince but even mocking him as well, so that he seemed to be foolish and tongue-tied in front of friends as well as family.
“To their distress and embarrassment, the small boy was frequently brought to tears by the banter to which he was subjected and to which he could find no retort.
“On occasion, even his closest friends found the Duke’s behavior inexplicably harsh.”
Harry’s memoir was mocked after it described how he rubbed Princess Diana’s favorite Elizabeth Arden lip cream into his frostbitten penis as the smell brought back his mother’s memory.
In Charles’ biography, a particular passage about him asking Joan Collins for a dance caught the eyes of reviewers.
The book quoted a letter Charles wrote, “She was very amusing and with an unbelievable cleavage (all raised up and presented as if on a tray!) so eye wander was a problem!”
After the experiences of his father and brother, William might be forgiven for deciding not to write a memoir.
Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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