Harry’s tell-all may have told too much for some Hollywood A-listers who could now be wary of divulging too much to the Sussexes.. Photo / Netflix
Harry’s tell-all may have told too much for some Hollywood A-listers who could now be wary of divulging too much to the Sussexes.. Photo / Netflix
Royal experts have predicted that Prince Harry’s explosive memoir could be detrimental when it comes to the Duke and Duchess’ popularity in California after the pair were absent from a prestigious guest list at a Los Angeles party on the weekend, according to Fox News.
The royal, 38, who lives in Santa Barbara beach haven of Montecito with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, produced a tell-all memoir, which hit bookshelves on January 10.
The memoir sold 1.43 million copies in the UK, US and Canada on its first day alone, the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, according to Guinness World Records.
But one royal expert warns to hold off on the Champagne popping. Kinsey Schofield - host of the To Di for Daily podcast - told Fox News Digital that those close to the royal couple might feel hesitant about what they divulge to the Duke and Duchess out of fear the pair will air their dirty laundry.
“I think Spare and the [recent] Netflix documentary will ultimately hurt Harry and Meghan’s relationships with the Hollywood elite,” said Schofield.
Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including Beyonce, as they attend the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King. Photo / Getty Images
‘Uncomfortable’
“Did intensely private Beyonće give Meg permission to read a text message that she sent the Duchess verbatim to millions of Netflix subscribers?” she shared. “I highly doubt it.”
“Did Courteney Cox expect to one day be called out for ‘magic mushroom chocolates’ in Spare? Does Gayle King enjoy being grilled by the internet when Harry tells [UK TV network] ITV there isn’t a royal racist after Gayle appeared on morning television claiming that her friends, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had receipts? They are putting people in uncomfortable situations.
“While having Tyler Perry and Oprah [Winfrey] in your corner is a huge help, I think most individuals don’t want to pick a side and would prefer to avoid the drama,” Schofield added.
Buckingham Palace officials have declined to comment on any of the allegations made in Harry’s book. Photo / AP
Sussexes ‘not on the ropes’
Buckingham Palace officials have refused to comment on any of the accusations made by the Duke in his memoir. A spokesman for King Charles didn’t immediately acknowledge Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A Kensington Palace spokesman representing the Prince and Princess of Wales told Fox News Digital it doesn’t have anything to say about the allegations. Royal family allies have shut down Harry’s claims in his book, mostly anonymously.
Royal author Christopher Anderson reported that there is no denying Spare’s public appeal, even among the backlash it has received from defenders of the monarchy. Anderson added he wouldn’t’ be surprised if more tell-all offers came rolling in.
“Spare is unflinching in its depiction of William and Harry’s relationship — and depicts Queen Camilla as nothing less than ‘a villain’ who has left ‘bodies in the streets’,” he explained.
“At the same time, it’s interesting to see how the British tabloids have really gone on the attack. A lot of people may be sick of listening to Harry and Meghan whine, to be sure. But the notion that the Sussexes are somehow on the ropes is complete nonsense.”
After their exit from the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did an interview with Oprah Winfrey that was viewed by 50 million people worldwide. Harry and Meghan shared their truth again in a six-part Netflix documentary that hit screens last month.
“Regardless of what you think of them, they remain an enduring object of fascination in the US and the UK — their ratings and book sales are undeniable proof of that,” Andersen continued.
“The Sussexes remain quite popular on this side of the Atlantic. The lucrative offers will keep on coming, and so will the invitations. More than ever, Harry and Meghan sit atop America’s celebrity heap.”
Since they quit royal life in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a series of public announcements with Spare being their latest stunt. At the time, the couple labelled the media’s treatment of Meghan as racist while also highlighting the lack of support from the Palace.
Harry appeared on ITV, CBS’ 60 Minutes, Good Morning America and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote the book.
Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge attended the Baftas. Photo / AP
Sussexes snubbed at Hollywood party
Some had questioned whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would appear at the Bafta Tea Party in Los Angeles. After all, their home is just up the road.
However, Prince Harry’s brother William has been president of Bafta for 13 years.
“We confirm that categorically their attendance was not discussed whatsoever,” a spokesman for Bafta clarified.
“The Bafta Tea Party in LA is for those involved in this year’s film awards season, so film awards contenders and nominees.”
Andersen added that if there’s any invitation that the Sussexes should be worried about, it’s the one to Charles’ coronation in May.
“We already know they will have no official ceremonial role to play,” he said.
“So even if they are grudgingly sent an invitation, Harry and Meghan may feel it’s simply not worth travelling to London simply to be shoved aside as they essentially were during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
“Harry has spent his life in his brother’s shadow – he still carries deep emotional scars from being cast in the role of ‘the spare’, and he wrote about that movingly in his book. Why would he subject himself and his family to more humiliation?”
Harry’s willingness to reveal Windsor’s’ private life continues to spark sales on both sides of the Atlantic.
Former first lady Michelle Obama says she hopes Meghan Markle and Prince Harry can reconcile with the British royal family. Photo / Getty Images
Worry for A-listers
However, royal experts are firm on the matter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relevancy and the new ways the pair will need to maintain that.
Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich reminded us of Michelle Obama’s response to the couple’s interview with Winfrey in 2021. The former First Lady told Access Hollywood: “My hope is that, when I think about what they’re going through, I think about the importance of family and I just pray that there is forgiveness and there is clarity and love and resolve at some point in time. Because there’s nothing more important than family.
“Americans, with an absence of royalty on their shores, are renowned for treasuring family,” Fordwich explained.
“Britons value family too and certainly the recent outpouring for the late Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated the love for the royal family. In America, there was a time when family for recent immigrants was one of the few things they had. So family is especially treasured.”
So was publicising their old feuds for a reported US$20m ($31m) advance worth it? Fordwich doesn’t think so.
“Perhaps Michelle Obama’s sentiments regarding Harry and Meghan’s brutal break from the royal family speaks volumes for the sentiments of many Americans,” she shared.
“A-listers or not, another question is, would anyone want a family member disclosing intimate details publicly, such as in Spare, regarding their own family?”
