A SENIOR royal is set to publish a bombshell memoir just days before Prince Harry releases his explosive tell-all book.
The Duke of Kent, 86, will publish his royal secrets in May next year, beating Harry’s publishing date expected later in 2022.
The book, which falls in the Queen’s platinum jubilee year, will give the story “behind the scenes of the world’s most celebrated family”, according to its publishers.
But it is likely to present a far different version of events to Harry, who has vowed to give a “first-hand account” of his life in a memoir that is “wholly truthful” after slamming the Royal Family during his bombshell Oprah interview.
It is understood Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who is the grandson of George V and Queen Mary, and the nephew of the Queen’s dad King George VI, will focus on “the most important moments and themes of The Queen’s life and seventy-year reign”, while featuring photos from his own collection.
One figure close to the royal told the MailOnline his book “will aim to show that the most successful members of the Royal Family are those who support the Queen and don’t compete with her”.
It is understood the Queen is aware of the project – which suggests she has given her permission.
By contrast, Harry was said to have “blindsided” the Royal Family when he announced the release of his memoir earlier this year, triggering a “tsunami of fear” in Buckingham Palace.
A spokesman for Harry said at the time he had told his family – including the Queen – about the book “very recently”.
But an insider said: “Harry scrambled to contact his family only when he knew the story was coming out — just moments before it became public.”
It came after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a series of claims about the Royal Family in their explosive Oprah interview in March, while Harry went on to blast Charles’ parenting skills during a podcast in May.
Announcing the news in July, Prince Harry 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 first-hand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”
Harry is said to be working with Pulitzer Prize-winner J R Moehringer, who has written memoirs for tennis legend Andre Agassi and Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
Penguin Random House said at the 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.”
