Prince Harry to write his memoirs

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From Random House

 PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX, WILL PUBLISH A LITERARY MEMOIR WITH PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, GLOBALLY IN LATE 2022 (July 19, 2021) — Penguin Random House is honored to announce that it will publish a forthcoming memoir by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex. 

 In an intimate and heartfelt memoir from one of the most fascinating and influential global figures of our time, 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. 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, The Duke of Sussex, said, “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man, I have become. 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 and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.” 

 Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, said, “All of us at Penguin Random House are thrilled to publish Prince Harry's literary memoir and have him join the world-renowned leaders, icons, and change-makers we have been privileged to publish over the years. 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. It is for that reason we’re excited to publish his honest and moving story.” 

 Prince Harry's book will be published in print and digital formats in the U.S. by the Random House and in Canada by Random House Canada. Transworld, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK, will publish the book in the United Kingdom, with additional publishing territories to be announced at a later date. An audiobook edition will be released simultaneously by Penguin Random House Audio. The release date for this publication is tentatively scheduled for late 2022. Terms for the worldwide agreement were not disclosed. Prince Harry will be donating proceeds to charity.

Possible book titles:  Daddy Dearest?   Windsor Wishes?   The follies of a Mountbatten-Windsor?    My Story as I recall?

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/19/prince-harry-writing-an-explosive-memoir-about-royal-family-life/

Princess Olga of Yugoslavia by Robert Prentice

Remember When William and Kate A Royal 10 Years

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated their tenth anniversary on April 29.    To commemorate this milestone, Historic Newspapers published Remember When William and Kate A Royal 10 Years.  This volume provides reproduces articles from the Daily Mirror from their wedding day through official tours, the births of their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, and other major events in their lives, culminated with the tour of the UK last December.

This is the perfect gift for Cambridge fans or people interested in royal history.  I am sure some of my readers will be eager to order a copy.

Click the link and you can order a personalized copy of  Remember When  William and Kate A Royal 10 Years starting at $79.00/£44.99.

https://www.historic-newspapers.com/gifts/historical-newspaper-books/william-and-kate-book/

https://www.historic-newspapers.co.uk/gifts/historical-newspaper-books/william-and-kate-book/

New books from Rosvall Royal Books including My Dear Mama

 

This is Awesome news although I have known about several of these books in the works (including Diana Mandache's My Dear Mama, which, I know, will be a major success.

https://www.royalbooks.se/artikel/22/welcome-to-rosvall-royal-books-and-to-royalty-digest-quarterly.html

Becoming Queen Mary by Kori Roff-Lawrence

 

Will someone please find a publisher for Kori Roff-Lawrence's Becoming Queen Mary, which is available solely through Amazon.   This is the first volume in a trilogy about Queen Mary's life. 

I am serious.  This book needs a wider market.  It needs to be read and appreciated for the depth and breadth of research into Mary's life.  

Okay, in case you do not know who Queen Mary was (1867-1953), she was born HSH Princess May of Teck, the only daughter, and eldest child of HRH Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and HRH The Duke of Teck, a morganatic scion of the German house of Württemberg.   Mary Adelaide, the People's Princess, was Queen Victoria's first cousin.

The elderly queen was fond of May and championed her as a bride for her grandson, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, second in line to the throne after his father, the Prince of Wales. Unfortunately, for May,  Albert Victor succumbed to pneumonia in January 1892, a month before their wedding.

Albert Victor's younger brother, Prince George, Duke of York, needed a bride so why not May.  They were married in July 1893.   

Roff-Lawrence's research goes beyond the traditional biographies and histories.  She also included newspaper and magazine coverage of the young May's life.

This is a well-written and composed biography that needs more exposure because it is that good.

[In full transparency, I must add that I did read this book before publication, proofreading and making editorial comments, such as adding more endnotes and footnotes.]

Yea, this book has an index, footnotes, and endnotes, as well as a bibliography to drool over.  

Becoming Queen Mary is a crowning achievement.  I look forward to Volume 2.

Any respectable publishing house would want to have a book of this caliber on its list.

New Royal Special/Commemorative Magazines

 

If you are browsing the checkout aisles at the supermarkets or a local bookstore, you cannot miss the latest in royally-themed magazines, especially with the recent death of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 10th wedding anniversary. 

 William and Kate The Life and Love of a Future King and Queen was published by Life Magazine ($14.99). This 96-page publication includes articles on the couple, as well as profiles - and plenty of photographs. 

 Kate The New People's Princess (Centennial Media) is a glossy magazine (98) pages, froth-fulled articles about their romance, the fairy-tale wedding, and how she is preparing for her life as Queen. This magazine will appeal to her fans. 

 The editors of People magazine have done an excellent job with Prince Philip 1921-2021, a 96-page special magazine that commemorated the life of Queen Elizabeth's husband and consort. The articles are well-researched and offer readers a comprehensive account of Philip's life and the "lifelong love story" between Philip and the Queen.  This was an enjoyable read. Well worth the purchase ($14.99).

This publication is an updated edition of a People magazine special issue: Elizabeth and Philip: A Royal Romance, published in 2017.

 Kate The New People's Princess is an attractive glossy magazine that will appeal to Catherine's fans. Pure sugar. This issue commemorated Catherine's first ten years as a royal, focusing on her early life, marriage and motherhood, and her future role as Queen Consort. Lavishly illustrated. You can find this magazine until May 24 at supermarkets and bookstores, including at Barnes & Noble. The price is $12.99.

 I sincerely doubt none of the British newspapers would be able to publish something similar to Harry & Meghan Their American Life. This 96-page special edition was published by The Los Angeles Times. Although several of the articles were first published in the newspaper, most of the articles are new. 

 The magazine is divided into four major chapters: Their American Life, A Modern Royal Romance, Growing up Meghan, and A Prince's Journey. Each chapter includes several articles. I bought this magazine at Wal-Mart. I have also seen it at Barnes & Noble. The articles are honest, and the writers have done their research although there were a few struggles with writing about titles. This publication far superior to Finding Freedom, as the writers are actual journalists, who avoid the saccharine style of royal feature writing (such as the Kate magazine reviewed in this post) and offer readers an honest approach to Harry and Meghan. 

https://store.latimes.com/products/harry-and-meghan-zine

 Those who hate Meghan and Harry for their decision to dispense with their senior royal status without understanding the reasons might not like this magazine. I recommend they read the magazine because it is well-written and informative without an ounce of negativity. 

 Perhaps someone can send Piers Morgan a copy of Harry & Meghan Their American Life, which has been published by a Pulitzer Prize-winning major daily broadsheet.

  

Princess Mary by Elisabeth Basford

 

Finally a proper biography of the late Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary.  Yorkshire-resident Elisabeth Basford is the author of Princess Mary, The First Modern Princess, well-researched and sympathetic biography of the Princess, who spent most of her married life in Yorkshire, first as the wife, then widow of Henry, 6th Earl of Harewood, raising two sons, and undertaking numerous engagements in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Mary was the least known of George V's children. This lack of attention has led to "rumour and gossip about Mary's life." The Downton Abbey movie perpetuates the false story that Lord Harewood is a "cold and detached man."   Basford dispatches this and other canards about Mary's life to the ash heap of erroneous information.

This biography offers readers new insight into Mary's life. Duty and public service to the Crown were paramount, but Mary, who was created Princess Royal in 1931, also threw herself into the Yorkshire community after her marriage. Yorkshire considered Mary their princess, as Basford writes: "Mary's presence in the region was vital to people's perceptions of the royal family."

She was a strong supporter of the Girl Guides and girls' education.   

Elisabeth Basford has done a lot of research, delving into correspondence in private collections and the local press.   I am sure there must be more information to be mined and I hope the present Lord Harewood will open the family archives to historians and biographers.  I would love to see further additions to this biography.

Princess Mary lived largely under the radar as a member of the royal family, although the same could not be said for her two sons, George, 7th Earl of Harewood, and his younger brother, the Hon. Gerald Lascelles. Both of them fathered children out of wedlock and later married the mothers. But unlike Mary, Lord Harewood and Gerald Lascelles were not members of the Royal family, albeit the Queen's first cousins.

Mary spent the last weeks of her life representing the Crown.  Her last official engagement was representing the Queen at the funeral of Queen Louise of Sweden on March 13, 1965.  After her return to London, Mary visited her brother David, who was in the hospital recovering from eye surgery.  She had remained in contact with her older brother, although she never accepted his decision to put love before his responsibilities and duties as king.

She had heart issues, but Mary enjoyed walking 2 miles every day at Harewood. On March 28, 1965, Mary spent some time with two grandsons on Easter break. The author writes "all the grandchildren," but this is incorrect, as Lord Harewood notes in his memoirs that only his two younger sons were with him. 

James and Jeremy joined Lord Harewood and Mary for a stroll.  She tripped and fell, and George helped her to a nearby bench. Mary died in her son's arms 15 minutes later.

Elisabeth Basford has written a competent and very readable biography of King George V's only daughter.  Princess Mary has ceased to be the distant and shy princess, but a woman of strong views and convictions, a princess who found her place in Yorkshire, where she could shine without fuss.  

Yorkshire had become her home, where she could live a life away from the hustle and bustle of London. Mary was said to be shy and reserved, but she never shied away from serving the Crown.

Princess Mary The First Modern Princess is highly recommended.

https://amzn.to/3DZ4AeY  US

https://amzn.to/43rz9UY  UK