6 Royal Family Memoirs, Because Prince Harry's Wasn't The First
His dad wrote a memoir first!
As much as the royal family makes public appearances, mingles with the people, and posts family photos on Instagram, royal fans don’t really know what goes on behind closed doors. The family have perfected the art of keeping certain aspects of their life private, and in many cases, The Firm has been accused of sweeping their dirty laundry under the rug. Every now and again, though, a royal family member comes along who is brave enough to put it all down on paper. These six royal family memoirs were unforgettable.
There have been a number of memoirs to come out of the royal family, but few were as highly publicized as Prince Harry’s forthcoming memoir set to hit the press in 2022. The Duke of Sussex announced the project on July 19, and promised royal fans they would receive more insight into his life than ever before.
"I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," said Harry 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."
If you think the memoir news is something out of the ordinary, think again. The Palace has a long list of family members who have penned books of their own, and they’ve been eye-opening every time.
Edward VIII
King Edward VIII published a ghostwritten memoir called A King’s Story in 1951, and he didn’t leave out any of the dramatic details of his reign and eventual abdication. Harry’s great-grandfather abdicated the throne in 1936 after announcing his plan to marry an American divorcee named Wallis Simpson. This didn’t exactly sit right with the royal family, who criticized the decision. (Not unlike they’re criticizing Prince Harry in present-day, huh?) The memoir touched upon the King’s childhood, his time studying at Oxford, and his decision to relinquish the throne for love.
Sarah Ferguson
Ferguson’s 1996 divorce from Prince Andrew was splashed across headlines and eventually made its way into a book. Ferguson released My Story: Sarah the Duchess of York that same year, and didn’t hold back on the dramatic details of her divorce.
Wallis Simpson
In 1957, Simpson took a page out of her husband’s book and published a story of her own. Simpson aplty titled her memoir The Heart Has Its Reasons: The Memoirs of the Duchess of Windsor, and wrote about the experience of being an American divorcee who married into the royal famiy.
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, whom was married to Prince Henry, penned two books throughout the course of her life. The first was titled The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and arrived in 1983. Alice wound up being one of the longest-living royals, which she referenced in her second memoir. In 1992, she released Memories of Ninety Years.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana didn’t write a memoir per say, but it was revealed she had a hand in editing Andrew Morton's 1992 book about her life, Diana: Her True Story. It wasn’t until after her death Morton revealed the tell-all book actually was sourced straight from Diana herself.
Prince Charles
Much like Diana, Prince Charles wasn’t listed as an official author on his biography. The Prince of Wales: A Biography was authored by Jonathan Dimbleby, however, Charles is said to have read it over and gave it his blessing.
