'Harry's actions do not speak for someone who wants to move on and forge a better future with his brother,' Katie Nicholl tells ET.
News of Prince Harry's upcoming memoir, set for release in 2022, apparently isn't going over well with the royal family.
In a new interview with ET, royal expert Katie Nicholl says that the Duke of Sussex's decision to publish the tell-all book certainly isn't helping the ongoing alleged feud with his brother, Prince William, and father, Prince Charles. The book follows Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, and various interviews since in which the couple has put the royal family on blast.
"A tell-all really means that repairing this rift is going to be a long way off. Harry's actions do not speak for someone who wants to move on and forge a better future with his brother and his father, so is this going to heal the royal rift? I would say far from it," Nicholl explains. "We've learned from Harry that when he does these tell-alls, they really are exactly that. If you look at the Oprah interview, it was explosive, and I think we're expecting the same thing from a book."
"He has said this is going to be his truth, a wholly truthful account of his life as a member of the royal family and his new life now," she continues. "I think this sets back any rift healing for some time. And, of course, don't forget, the royal family have a whole year now to wait until it actually hits the shelves, knowing that this book is coming out, but not knowing what's going to be in it."
Nicholl claims that there's a sense of "real disbelief" over the book, "both in Prince Charles' camp and Prince William's."
"[With] Harry writing this book, he is breaking the one royal rule: Don't tell! Never complain, never explain," she says. "One wonders just how far Harry will go in this telling of his memoir, and how damaging it's going to be."
"I think there is a sense of surprise over this. The Palace didn't know this announcement was coming," adds Nicholl. "Behind the scenes, people over here are saying, 'Well, actually, it's going to be Meghan writing it. She will be the one really dictating the narrative.' There's suggestions that Harry has been pushed into doing this by Meghan, but the real thing that people are saying is that this is the Sussexes yet again cashing in on their royal names."
Penguin Random House announced the news of Harry's book on Monday, revealing in a press release that it's expected for release in late 2022 and will be "the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses and life lessons that have helped shape him."
"I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," Harry said in a statement. "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," he added, "and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that's accurate and wholly truthful."
One day after news broke, a spokesperson for Harry told ET that while the Duke of Sussex recently had a private conversation with his family about the book, he would not be expected to get permission for a project like this from the Palace.
Additionally, amid reports that Harry is making $20 million, ET has learned that terms for the worldwide agreement were not disclosed. A source told ET that the father of two will be donating proceeds to charity.
Hear more in the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
