Prince Harry’s staff feared memoir ‘would be disastrous for couple’

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s staff are worried that the release of the Duke of Sussex’s tell-all memoir could backfire on the couple, a royal correspondent claimed. After months of speculation on the date of Harry’s book, the Penguin House publisher announced it will be published on January 10. Despite growing calls by royal commentators to scrap the book after the Queen’s death, Harry seems to be prepared to go ahead with it.After the Queen’s death, the Daily Express’s Royal Correspondent Richard Palmer said everything “seemed to be going swimmingly” between the Sussexes and the Royal Family. He said: “And then suddenly, you’ve got the prospect of this book coming out. “And I don’t think anybody can be really sure what is going to be in it or not. There might be a few hints.”Certainly some time ago, I was led to believe that there was some real concern in Harry and Meghan’s camp, people working for them who had apparently seen the manuscript and were alarmed by it and thought that it would be disastrous for the couple.” Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s staff are reportedly concerned the book may backfire on the couple (Image: GETTY) Richard Palmer said he heard royal aides are concerned Harry’s memoir could be ‘disastrous’ for them (Image: The Royal Round Up)However, Mr Palmer said he never ran the story at the time “because I couldn’t really confirm it independently”.He said: “That sort of feeling has sort of been reflected elsewhere. “In short, I suppose the Royal Family are worried that the book will cast a shadow over the new reign, will reignite all of the controversies about allegations of racism, the allegations of bullying against Meghan.”Mr Palmer said the Royal Family is also reportedly concerned the bombshell book might include damaging details of “Harry’s unhappiness with his lot and the members of the Royal Family, his father’s affair with then Camilla Parker Bowles, the break-up of his parent’s marriage when he was young, the death of his mother [and the fact] he has never really dealt with the emotional fallout.”READ MORE: Harry and Meghan to snub Christmas invite – relations at ‘rock bottom’ Pandora Forsyth and Richard Palmer discussed the upcoming release of Harry’s memoir (Image: The Royal Round Up) Royal commentators claimed Prince Harry could scrap his memoir after the Queen’s death (Image: GETTY)”It’s just a bag for worms for the Royal Family,” the royal correspondent added.Besides the release date of the book, Penguin House revealed the “intimate and heartfelt memoir” will be titled “Spare” and translated into 16 languages.The publisher also announced that Prince Harry’s book will include moments like his military service on the frontlines of Afghanistan and the joy he has found in being a husband and father.In his own words, Prince Harry said: “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become. I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story – the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned – I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.”DON’T MISS:Prince Harry memoir release threatens to overshadow Kate’s big day [REPORT]  Meghan warned King Charles ‘bewildered’ over ‘hurtful’ comments  [REPORT] ‘Under no circumstances’ Harry poised to hit back at Palace decision [REPORT]   Prince Harry is going ahead with his memoir amid speculations it could hurt the reputation of royals (Image: GETTY)”I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful”, the Duke of Sussex added. Billed as “his story”, the book also delves into Prince Harry’s “personal journey from trauma to healing”.Nile Gardiner, a Royal Family enthusiast and foreign policy expert, warned the book could amount to “a grenade being thrown into Buckingham Palace”.Mr Gardiner told Express.co.uk: “The title of the book sets a resentful tone from the start. It will likely not be a book that will be full of hope and aspiration. It could be a book filled with a lot of rage and the title is a reflection of that anger. The book’s title alone sends a massive negative signal.”READ NEXT:’So much negativity’ Meghan slammed for ‘threatening the Royal Family’Harry deemed ‘not emotionally prepared to be anything but a spare’Prince Harry will not spend Christmas with the Royal FamilyKirstie Allsopp shares ‘message’ from Prince Harry’s book coverPrince Harry memoir will ‘blow it’ with Royal Family, claims expert