Prince Harry has clinched a lucrative four-book deal – with the second due out only after the Queen has died, the Mail can reveal today.
In news sure to alarm Buckingham Palace, industry insiders said the ‘tell-all’ tome unveiled by Harry earlier this week is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
Sources said the Duke of Sussex oversaw the bidding and told publishing houses to begin at £18million, with the final figure possibly reaching £29million.
The deal will see a memoir released next year – when it is the Queen’s platinum jubilee – with the second book to be held back until after her death.
Harry’s wife Meghan is to pen a ‘wellness’ guide as part of the contract with Penguin Random House.
The subject and author of the fourth title is unknown.
The Mail has been told the prince, 36, ‘led’ negotiations from Montecito in California, where he and Meghan have bought an £11million mansion on the back of lucrative tie-ups, including with streaming services Netflix and Spotify.
Two publishers flew out from London to see him and others took part in the ‘auction’ by video call, sources say.
Prince Harry has clinched a lucrative four-book deal – with the second due out only after the Queen has died, the Mail can reveal today
The deal will see Prince Harry’s memoir released next year – when it is the Queen’s platinum jubilee – with the second book to be held back until after her death. Harry’s wife Meghan is to pen a ‘wellness’ guide as part of the contract with Penguin Random House
‘He conducted negotiations – he had a very ‘take it or leave it’ attitude,’ said an impeccably-placed source in the publishing industry.
‘His starting price was $25million (£18million) and the final figure was way north of that, possibly as much as $35-40million (£25-29million).
‘Those involved were actually very shocked by his approach, which was to look at them coldly and state his demands – $25million.
‘In Britain, publishing is still a rather ‘gentlemanly’ industry.
It’s high stakes, but is still conducted in very genteel terms.’
The source added: ‘The final contract was actually for a four-book deal, with Harry writing one “when his granny dies”. Meghan will write a wellness-type book and people are unsure what the fourth will be.
But what is most shocking, frankly, is Harry’s suggestion that the second book won’t be published until the Queen is no longer here.
‘People [will] start asking ‘what has he got, who is he going to target?’ The very idea of this unexploded bomb, hanging about waiting for the Queen to pass, is just extraordinary and may strike many as being in very bad taste.’
The Royal Family has been left deeply concerned by Harry’s decision to secretly collaborate with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer on what his publishers described as ‘the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him’.
The two men have been working on the book for up to a year.
It is described by Harry as a ‘wholly truthful first-hand account’ of his life. But royal aides are worried that it will prove to be a highly one-sided account of the prince’s experiences and reignite tensions with his estranged family.
The Queen and senior royals are still dealing with the fallout from his slew of interviews, most notably with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
The prince has made a string of highly damaging allegations about his closest relatives, including claims of institutional racism.
The news that not only is there a second book planned, but it is one that Harry was said to have stipulated should not come out until after his 95-year-old grandmother passes away, will do little to allay fears about the nature of his ‘revelations’.
It suggests that the Queen would disapprove of what the sixth in line to the throne is doing and anything published might upset her and the rest of the Royal Family, or prove to be reputationally damaging, whether it is true or not.
It also appears to indicate that Harry cares far less about anything his father Prince Charles or brother Prince William, whom he has been most critical of, think.
The fact that Harry and Meghan, 39, are set to publish more than one book was not referred to in the official announcement about his memoir earlier this week.
This raises the unedifying prospect of the Windsors being ‘under siege’ from the Sussexes and their ‘truths’ for many years to come.
After being alerted to the story in detail on Thursday and told that it would be published on Saturday, lawyers acting for Harry replied to the Mail yesterday afternoon saying that they would not be commenting.
Five hours later however, and after early editions of the paper had gone to press, they then wrote to the Mail again saying the claims were ‘false and defamatory’.
They said there was only one ‘memoir’ planned by Harry, which will be published next year.
The prince has always been at pains to point out the huge respect he has for his grandmother and her sense of duty and has previously said that he and Meghan wanted to continue her remarkable legacy.
But many within the royal household believe his actions have been anything but respectful and have piled unbearable pressure on the monarch, still working diligently well into her 90s, as well as mourning the loss of her husband of 73 years, triadtoys Prince Philip.
The deal will also, inevitably, be seen as further exploitation by the Sussexes of their former royal roles and status – something they personally promised the Queen they would not do.
Payment for the book deal is likely, insiders say, to be delivered in parts over a number of years.
Penguin Random House said that the ‘proceeds’ from the book would be donated to charity but has not detailed whether this would include both royalties and the advance.
A spokesman for the prince also insisted that he had informed his family – including the Queen – about plans for his book ‘very recently’.
Yet the Mail understands his office made attempts to contact the royal household only hours before the story was broken by a US newspaper after learning it was about to become public.
Charles is said to have been particularly surprised by the news when it was announced.
Penguin Random House was also contacted in detail about the story yesterday but said it would not be making any further comment ‘over and above what is contained in the original press release’.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night on the revelations.
The Queen and senior royals are still dealing with the fallout from his slew of interviews, most notably with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey
Prince Charles (pictured at Exeter Cathedral on July 19), who has a rocky relationship with his son, is said to have been particularly surprised
