Prince Harry is spilling his own ink: ‘Honest’ memoir to be published in 2022

Hillel Italie, Associated Press Published 1:57 p.m. ET July 19, 2021 | Updated 6:19 p.m. ET July 19, 2021

The statue was commissioned to honor what would’ve been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday. Associated Press

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NEW YORK — Prince Harry is writing what his publisher is calling an “intimate and heartfelt memoir.” 

The book by the Duke of Sussex, currently untitled, is expected to come out late in 2022.

“Prince Harry will share, for the very first time, the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him,” Random House announced Monday. 

“Covering his lifetime in the public eye from childhood to the present day, including his dedication to service, the military duty that twice took him to the frontlines of Afghanistan, and the joy he has found in being a husband and father, Prince Harry will offer an honest and captivating personal portrait, one that shows readers that behind everything they think they know lies an inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, says of him and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: “We choose to put our mental health first, that’s what we’re doing and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

 (Photo: Jordan Strauss, Invision/AP)

Harry issued a statement on the Sussex website, Archewell, later Monday, describing the book as a “firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”

“I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” his statement said. “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.”

Financial terms were not disclosed. Prince Harry will donate proceeds to charity, according to Random House.

Monday’s announcement comes a month after his wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, published her own book, a children’s picture book called “The Bench,” which features her husband and their son, Archie, 2, and is based on a poem she wrote for Harry after Archie was born in May 2019.

Duchess Meghan’s debut children’s book “The Bench” looks at the bond between father and son through a mother’s eyes.

 (Photo: Penguin Random House)

More: Meghan’s children’s book based on Archie lands just days after birth of Lilibet Diana

The book, published June 8 through Random House Books for Young Readers, has registered in high spots on children’s books lists compiled by Amazon and The New York Times, although it’s no longer in the top 10.

In a statement, Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, said the publishing house is “thrilled” about bringing out Harry’s book. 

“Prince Harry has harnessed his extraordinary life experience as a prince, a soldier, and a knowledgeable advocate for social issues, establishing himself as a global leader recognized for his courage and openness,” Dohle said. “It is for that reason we’re excited to publish his honest and moving story.”  

Prince Harry Duchess Meghan of Sussex talk to Oprah Winfrey in interview broadcast March 7, 2021.

 (Photo: Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions via AP)

Harry’s book announcement also comes four months after the prince, 36, and the former Meghan Markle, 39, made worldwide news during their interview with Oprah Winfrey near the couple’s home in Montecito, California. The couple said they moved to America because they were fed up with what they perceived as racism in the British media and in the royal family. 

More: Prince Harry and Oprah reunite for a town hall on mental health

Meghan spoke of feeling lonely and nearly suicidal before they left Britain last year and Harry acknowledged tension with his father, Prince Charles, over his marriage to the biracial American former actor and their decision to step back from royal duties and begin a new life as Hollywood entertainment producers.

Prince William and Prince Harry arrive for the statue unveiling on what woud have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, Thursday July 1, 2021.

 (Photo: Yui Muk, AP)

“There is a lot to work through there,” Harry said about his relationship with his father, who was divorced from his mother, the late Princess Diana, at the time of her fatal car wreck in Paris in 1997. “I feel really let down. He’s been through something similar. He knows what pain feels like. And Archie is his grandson. I will always love him, but there is a lot of hurt that has happened.”

Harry told Winfrey that he felt trapped by royal life and that his family cut off him financially and took away his security. He also acknowledged his relations were strained with his brother, Prince William.

“I was trapped, but I didn’t know I was trapped,” Harry said, before adding, “My father and my brother, they are trapped.”

Princes Harry, William reunite for late mother Diana’s statue unveiling on her 60th birthday

Contributing: Maria Puente USA TODAY 

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