Royal Expert Reveals Who Will Suffer The Most Fallout From Prince Harry's Memoir - Exclusive
Heads at Britain's Buckingham Palace were most definitely turned after Prince Harry revealed he was writing his memoirs, which are set to be published late 2022. "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," he said in a statement (via Vanity Fair).
And while we have no doubt that Harry may feel much better after his book has been written and released, royal experts and observers like Kinsey Schofield of the blog "To Di For Daily: A Pop Culture take on the British Royal Family" also feel that Harry's peace of mind could well come at the expense of someone else's; that someone could well be his father, Prince Charles.
Prince Charles could be painted in a negative light in Harry's book: expert
The List's resident royal expert Kinsey Schofield points out that because "Prince Harry often includes Prince William in stories when he is discussing something unsettling to him, for instance, 'My father used to say to me, when I was younger, he used to say to both William and I, Well, it was like that for me. So it's going to be like that for you.' That doesn't make sense — just because you suffered it doesn't mean that your kids have to suffer." Schofield feels this is his way of signaling that "William is not the villain in his story, but a victim too."
But William is not likely to escape unscathed, because as Schofield points out, Buckingham Palace's communications team used to bury negative stories about Prince William at Harry's expense — just to keep Prince William's reputation intact. Schofield says, "This has been a well-known tactic for decades upon decades. Fergie accused them of doing similar things in an attempt to keep Diana out of the papers. [This is] not really a bombshell for longtime royal watchers but certainly new and interesting information to the younger demographic that is attracted to Harry and Meghan." Instances like these could be a way for Harry to show how he might have been held back by palace officials.
Prince Harry's book 'cannot be a big whine-fest': expert
But there is one thing experts like Schofield say that Harry's book cannot be. "At the end of the day, it cannot be a big whine-fest. He has to prove his value and establish himself as a leader. The ultimate goal is to brand him as someone that could share a stage with Greta Thunberg or Bill Gates. He wants to rid himself of being 'the spare.'"
Even though William could get a free pass, Scofield says that the book still casts a shadow over Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship. "Prince William has sacrificed a lot too, with the ultimate goal of being king. Prince Harry cannot relate to that. He's primary lived his life without this giant purpose that William has. Prince William is trying to protect his future and the future of his children. I'm sure Prince Harry's action feel like an assault on William's birthright," she says.
One thing is certain: that neither Harry nor Meghan can expect that the book will recast them in a different, more positive light. "Together Harry and Meghan are very polarizing characters. People have already made their minds up about them and if this book creates additional animosity, do expect for Meghan to take the blame from the side of the aisle that already doesn't like her," Schofield says.