PRINCE Harry is desperate to avoid becoming the “new Andrew” and “irrelevant”, a pal has claimed.
Harry – while still a member of the Firm – was afraid of falling down the royal pecking order like his uncle, a friend told The Times.
The pal said: “Harry has always been in such a rush to make an ‘impact’, because he thinks he has a limited shelf-life before the public want to hear more from George and his siblings and he worries that after that, he’ll turn into his uncle.”
Five years ago the duke told The Times that he wanted to use his “privileged position” for “good stuff” for “as long as I can, or until I become boring, or until [Prince] George ends up becoming more interesting”.
He added at the time: “There’s nothing worse than going through a period in your life where you’re making a massive difference and then suddenly… you drop off. You want to make a difference but no one’s listening to you.”
Harry’s uncle Prince Andrew has been mostly absent from royal duties and shunned by some of his family after his train-wreck Newsnight interview about his relationship with disgraced child abuser Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes as:
- Meghan and Harry’s daughter Lilibet is missing from the Royal Family official website’s line of succession — seven weeks after she was born.
- A “tired, grieving” Queen has gone to Balmoral in a bid to rise above the scandal caused by Prince Harry’s book revelation
- Prince Harry’s old Eton and Army friends have reportedly warned him not to reveal their secrets in his tell-all memoir
- The royal family have “very real fears” that Prince Harry’s book deal could destabilise the monarchy and upset his father’s ascension to the throne
Meanwhile, Harry is set to publish his explosive memoir which he vowed will examine the “highs and lows” of his extraordinary life.
The duke has signed a four-book deal that may be worth up to £29million – with the second to be released after the Queen’s death.
The first book will be released during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
He signed a lucrative deal – worth up to a potential £29million – with publishers Penguin Random House. Harry has said the proceeds from the books will be donated to charity.
The second of those books is due out only after the Queen has died, the Daily Mail reported.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
Industry insiders reportedly said the “tell-all” premise of Harry’s memoir was just the “tip of the iceberg”.
A source told MailOnline that there is “anger and disappointment” within the palace and that the Queen is facing anxiety over the contents of Harry’s books.
They said that senior Palace officals made the decision not to respond publicly to the Duke of Sussex’s announcement because they feared it would “fan the flames” of his already strained relationship with Prince Charles.
Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, 39, is also set to write a “wellness” guide as part of the contract with the publisher.
Members of the Royal Family are now waiting to see what the duke will write about them.
There are also reportedly concerns about how his dad Charles’ wife Camilla Parker-Bowles will be represented in the book.
