- Last week, news broke that Prince Harry is working on a memoir that will be released in late 2022. Now, new reports suggest his publishing deal is much bigger than originally thought.
- Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English reports that an "impeccably-placed source in the publishing industry" says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex actually signed a four-book deal.
- In addition to Harry's officially-announced memoir, the deal is said to include a wellness book from Meghan Markle and another book by Harry that reportedly won't be published until after his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, dies. Details about the fourth book are currently unknown.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren't done sharing their story.
According to a new report from the Daily Mail, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a four-book publishing deal. The report comes on the heels of official news that Harry is working on a memoir that's due out in "late 2022."
"I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," Harry said of the book in an official statement from publisher Penguin Random House. "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. 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."
Now, royal correspondent Rebecca English reports that publishing insiders say the deal isn't just for Harry's memoir, but for a series of four books, one of which sources say won't be published until after the Queen's death and another that will be penned by Meghan.
"The final contract was actually for a four-book deal, with Harry writing one 'when his granny dies.' Meghan will write a wellness-type book and people are unsure what the fourth will be. But what is most shocking, frankly, is Harry's suggestion that the second book won't be published until the Queen is no longer here," someone described as an "impeccably-placed source in the publishing industry" told English. "People [will] start asking, 'What has he got, who is he going to target?' The very idea of this unexploded bomb, hanging about waiting for the Queen to pass, is just extraordinary and may strike many as being in very bad taste."
The source also claimed that Harry negotiated the deal himself from his and Meghan's home in California and that the couple could earn as much as $40 million from the arrangement.
"He conducted negotiations—he had a very 'take it or leave it' attitude," the source claimed. "His starting price was $25 million and the final figure was way north of that, possibly as much as $35-40 million. Those involved were actually very shocked by his approach, which was to look at them coldly and state his demands."
Members of royal family were reportedly shocked by news of Harry's book deal.
"What's really telling is even the relatives he remains closest to, like princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, are stunned by what he's up to," a source said, according to the Mirror.
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