A week ago, we learned that Prince Harry is currently writing a memoir, set for publication next year. We learned this via a Page Six exclusive, a gossip outlet which (let’s face it) has legitimate sources within the publishing world. I saw some conspiracies about how maybe Harry told his father about the memoir and Charles leaked the news to the Murdoch press and thus, the Page Six story. I doubt it. I mean, maybe there is some complicated web of conspiratorial deceit happening around the leaking of Harry’s publishing deal, but I think it’s far more likely that it was just a leak from someone at Penguin Random House’s New York office to Page Six. All of which means that I’m putting more stock in what Page Six says about the terms of Harry’s contract than whatever the Daily Mail is saying. So here’s what Page Six had over the weekend:
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will team up on a book about ‘leadership’ as part of their megabucks book deal, Page Six is told. And Markle may be set to write her own sensational memoir — following in her husband’s footsteps.
In fact, royal observers ponder whether a Markle memoir will be the first chapter in a pivot to her long-rumored political aspirations. Markle, who gave birth to baby daughter Lilibet in June, has been relatively quiet since her appearance with Harry on her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March.
Following our royal exclusive this week that Harry had signed an estimated $20 million book deal with Random House, it was then confirmed the deal with Penguin Random House is actually for four tomes. Aside from Harry’s memoir, there will be a rumored wellness book from Markle. And now we’re told Markle and Harry will team up for a book that is described as being focused on “leadership and philanthropy.”
The Sussex camp was forced on Friday night to deny that Harry’s memoir will be split into two, with a second chapter to be published after the death of his grandmother, the Queen. A spokesperson for the couple told Page Six that contrary to reports, there is only one memoir planned by Harry and it’s scheduled to be released in late 2022, as originally announced. Sources added that it’s “appalling” to tie anything to the Queen’s death.
One source who knows the couple told us: “With such a steady drumbeat of all the Harry announcements, you have to imagine that the Meghan dial is going to be dialed up. One can only think that she would absolutely write a memoir — she has been outspoken to those who know her about her political aspirations in the future.”
Meghan’s recent kids book, “The Bench,” was published by Random House, but the deal was done in 2019 and is not part of this new deal. A Sussex rep was unavailable for comment.
Yeah, I still find it interesting that the Camp Sussex denial was more about the “when Granny dies” clause rather than a denial of a multi-book deal. I think it’s perfectly possible that Harry has a contract for one memoir, and an option for a second memoir. And then it’s possible there is some kind of deal for Meghan and Harry to cowrite something about charity, leadership, inspirational living, etc. I just don’t believe that Meghan would be part of Harry’s contract for her own separate books/memoirs though. She clearly has her own relationship with the Penguin Random House people and perhaps she has a separate contract. I don’t know.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
