There's a "very real risk" that Prince Harry's much anticipated memoir could lead to "serious blowback" from the royal family, claims a friend of Meghan Markle.
Royal expert Omid Scobie said that while Harry's book, 'Spare' give a "sympathetic" overview of his life and thoughts it could still cause "irrevocable damage" to the 'Firm's' reputation,
The memoir, due out in January, is described by its publishers as an account told with 'raw unflinching honesty".
The Duke of Sussex’s memoir is said to be filled with ‘insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.’
Writing in his Yahoo column, Mr Scobie said: "No matter how carefully Harry shares the parts of his story involving others, there is still the very real risk of serious blowback from the institution and family.
"Palace aides recently told me about the “genuine fear” amongst senior members that this book will cause irrevocable damage to reputations and relations. But, for Harry, Spare’s larger intention appears to make that risk worth taking."
Mr Scobie said contrary to reports that the book was hastily edited after the Queen's death and a new chapter added, the memoir was actually finished five months before she died and has not been changed.
Meanwhile, he said that the name of the memoir, 'Spare', should have as no surprise.
"It’s a punchy choice, but for a word that has trailed the prince like a shadow, being the spare was one of the most defining aspects of his royal existence," he wrote.
"Leaning on the derogatory moniker for a title is Harry finally owning the term after a lifetime of being called it."
Mr Scobie was the co-author of Finding Freedom, which looks at how and why Harry and Meghan’s left the royal family and their new life in America.
Meanwhile, the couple have been urged to stop using their titles, which the King is unable to remove.
Prince Harry and Meghan were bestowed the titles by the Queen after their May 2018 wedding.
In February 2021 the prince had several titles, including His Royal Highness, revoked by the monarch as the pair confirmed they had no plans to ever return as working royals.
Since then they have continued using their Duke and Duchess titles which has led to some people questioning if they should do so.
Now royal historian Marlene Koenig has described the situation as the “elephant in the room is the use of the title in business”.
She told Express.co.uk : “Perhaps it would have been kinder and wiser to have said at the time that in business they should use the surname Windsor, or Mountbatten Windsor, or Sussex…Meghan Sussex, Harry Sussex in their careers.”
