Royals rumor mills are in overdrive right now, and one of the biggest rumors is that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have cooperated on a bombshell biography that will tell their side of their infamous split from the royal family.
The two are said to be working with "friendly journalist" Omid Scobie, Bazaar.com’s royal editor at large, on the book. The details go that before they moved away from the UK, Harry and Meghan gave in-depth interviews to Omid and American journalist Carolyn Durand. Both Omid and Carolyn have been covering the royal family for years, and Omid's current profile includes that he "has covered the lives and philanthropic work of the younger members of the British Royal Family for over eight years … spearheading exclusive coverage of major royal milestones" and travelling "extensively with Harry, Meghan, William and Kate on their engagements in the U.K. and around the world."
In other words, he's got credentials.
If news of their possible tell-all sounds familiar, it's because if they really do take this step, Harry and Meghan would be taking a page literally from the book of Princess Diana. She shocked everyone with the release of her 1992 authorized biography, Diana: Her True Story.
The British press is reporting that the "Duke and Duchess of Sussex have co-operated with the authors of an explosive new book that risks inflicting further anguish on the Royal Family, it was claimed last night. Palace insiders expect the biography — provisionally entitled Thoroughly Modern Royals: The Real World Of Harry And Meghan — to paint a flattering portrait of the couple."
The press also immediately drew comparisons between this book and Princess Diana's.
"Echoing Princess Diana’s secret involvement in the blockbuster biography, Diana: Her True Story, when she encouraged her friends to speak to author Andrew Morton, questions are being asked whether members of Meghan’s inner circle were being urged to help Scobie and his American co-author, Carolyn Durand.
"The 320-page biography, due to be released on August 11, is expected to be a global bestseller."
The release of Diana's book was huge for numerous reasons. The book caused a huge firestorm of controversy surrounding the royal family, especially as it included extremely detailed examples of how Diana felt she had been treated. When the book was initially released, many suspected that Diana was the primary source for the material, but this wasn't confirmed by Andrew Morton until after Diana died in 1997.
He reissued the book following her death and included the transcripts from their conversation. The inclusion of the transcripts was a powerful move — and one that really solidified that much of the book had to be true. Andrew also shared that he and his publisher didn't believe Princess Diana's claims that Prince Charles and Camilla were having an affair until Diana produced the love letters the pair were exchanging.
Diana also sat down for a series of interviews with Andrew, and each video was recorded on video. The videos were compiled for the 2017 documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. Filmmaker Tom Jennings said, "In my opinion, this is the definitive documentary on Princess Diana. It’s by far the hardest thing that [my team and I have] ever done, but it’s also the best thing we’ve ever done. We knew what we had was special. I don’t think anything else can approach it, and I feel very strong about saying that."
If Harry and Meghan are cooperating on an authorized biography, they have definitely chosen two appropriate journalists to work with. Omid Scobie has published countless articles that indicate he is favorable toward Harry and Meghan. He regularly highlights their charitable work, along with updates about court cases the two are entangled in.
Like Diana, Harry and Meghan also have plenty of material to work with. Although Meghan has not been a member of royal family as long as Diana was, she has endured countless headlines and articles that were dripping with racism and misogyny. Prince Harry would obviously have decades of material he could draw upon if he felt moved to.
Carolyn Durand has also written plenty of favorable coverage of the royal pair, and she's clearly had access to plenty of insider material for the pieces she has written. In January, Carolyn reported that Harry and Meghan planned to have a home near Meghan's mother, Doria, months before anyone else had any inkling that the two would eventually move to LA.
If the rumors are true, no one is confirming them. Social media channels for Omid and Carolyn are full of royals news, but not anything about a potential biography in the works. Carolyn's most recent post to Twitter is about the ongoing legal feud Harry and Meghan have waged against British tabloids.
Details of the possible book are surfacing through other channels. Sources claim that HarperCollins is the publisher behind the book in the States, and that the initial release date of June 2020 has been pushed back to August 2020 owing to current global events.
The Queen's former press secretary has shared that news of a new book about the royals always has the family concerned: "There is always concern when there is a book coming out, probably more so on this one if what we read is true: that they have co-operated. If they have co-operated then there is concern. It also begs the question how much have they cooperated?"
Princess Diana's former private secretary echoed these sentiments: "Collaborating with pliable authors and magazine journalists while shunning those deemed awkward is standard royal practice. But for Harry and Meghan it's not just about image — for them it's business: a vital part of the self-branding and marketing process."
