Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave Westminster Hall, London. Photo / AP
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave Westminster Hall, London. Photo / AP
The Duke of Sussex has asked friends from his old life in Britain to contribute to his memoir as he revisits his life story.
The duke, whose autobiography will be published on January 10, has asked close associates to speak to ghostwriter JR Moehringer, cross-referencing his own memories.
The Sun on Sunday claimed former friends of the Duke had been left “stunned” by a request to talk, after years of having their discretion about his private life valued.
The Telegraph understands that some were happy to cooperate with the ghostwriter and directly with Prince Harry himself, helping to recall and explain the context of his experiences from their perspective.
He retained a tight-knit group of friends during his time in the royal family, with none breaking cover to share secrets of his years partying in London nightclubs or leaking stories about him to the press.
The duke has since moved to California and is telling his own life story in a memoir entitled Spare. It is expected to detail his upbringing in the royal family and the decision to leave it.
The cover of Spare, Prince Harry's memoir, which is coming out January 10. Photo / Random House Group via AP
The book will describe his “raw, unflinching” version of his life so far and his “personal journey from trauma to healing” after meeting the then-Meghan Markle.
It is not known whether his former girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, have been approached for their version of years gone by.
‘Ultimately most said no’
A source told the Sun on Sunday unnamed friends had been contacted over the summer.
“Harry did reach out,” they said. “Friends and girlfriends were polite and said they would think about it but ultimately most said ‘no’.
“It was felt to be kind of ironic that Harry would hit the roof if he ever had an inkling they spoke to the media, but now he wants them to when he needs their help.”
It is common practice for ghostwriters to use multiple sources in completing an autobiography, cross-referencing the claims the subject has made and filling in gaps in their own memory.
Some US media will also use fact-checkers who will independently contact anyone named in books, newspapers and magazine articles to check their version of events tallies with that about to be published.
Penguin Random House has called Prince Harry’s memoir “His Words, His Story”.
“For Harry, this is his story at last,” it said in publicity material. “With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.”
Its promotion focused heavily on the image of the young Prince walking behind the coffin of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, suggesting the book will not shy away from the traumatic details of his life.
A source recently told the Telegraph the book was “cathartic” for the Duke to write, saying it was a sign he had chosen his own “happiness”.
It is thought that he may travel to the UK in the New Year to take part in promotional activity for the book, explaining more about his intentions in writing it.
