Prince Harry’s unexpected memoir decision

Prince Harry’s surprising call around the upcoming re-release of his controversial memoir has sent a strong message to the royal family.

IN LONDON

Prince Harry is set to re-release his controversial memoir, Spare - forgoing the common practice of adding updates in what’s been seen as a bid to thaw frosty relations with his family.

The Duke of Sussex’s bombshell book, originally released in January 2023, included staggering details about he and Meghan Markle’s private conflicts with his family, as well as issues stemming back to his childhood.

Prince Harry and Meghan in Colombia. Picture: Raul Arboleda/AFP

Publishing house Penguin has now announced it will be re-released as a paperback in two months’ time, which authors usually use as an opportunity to add extra chapters or details.

However, it’s been confirmed that Spare's contents will be “unchanged”.

The decision could be in keeping with Harry’s recent policy of restraint when it comes to criticism of the royal family following all the drama of his and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, their Netflix docu-series, and Spare.

The paperback version of the memoir will be released in October.

While there appears to be a slow rebuilding of Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, it’s understood he and Prince William have not spoken since the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022.

According to Harry’s memoir, even then, they “barely exchanged a word”.

Prince Harry has declined to add extra chapters to his memoir, Spare. Picture: Diego Cuevas/Getty Images

As a source told the UK’s Sunday Times recently: “They are estranged, which is dreadfully sad.”

The latest development comes just days after it emerged that William was furious by Harry’s decision to call his wife “Kate” in his public message of support following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

It’s understood the Princess of Wales, who was widely known as Kate during her younger years, let it be known just prior to her and William’s wedding she would henceforth prefer to be called Catherine.

The explosive memoir was a bestseller. Picture: Adam Berry/Getty Images

After she announced her cancer diagnosis in an emotional statement in March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a public statement, which read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

But according to theDaily Beast, William took offence to their refusal to call his wife Catherine, “even when they were sending her get-well-soon messages”, with a friend of the future King’s revealing he found it to be “an entirely unnecessary and deliberate irritation.

“The fact that Harry and Meghan were unable to bring themselves to use her chosen name, even when they were sending her get-well-soon messages after her cancer diagnosis, was noted,” the insider said.

“William takes offence at people calling Catherine ‘Kate,’ because she has asked to be known as Catherine. It’s a fairly simple wish to respect. I’m sure Meghan wouldn’t like it if William started publicly calling her ‘Meghan Markle.’

“Of course it’s an utterly trivial thing, but those of us who know William know that it is one of the things that pushes his buttons. Pushing his buttons while he was going through his wife’s cancer seemed an entirely unnecessary and deliberate irritation.”

Originally published as Prince Harry’s unexpected memoir decision