Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the mood in the Palace tonight? 😩

[Nurserymumm]

😩🤣

I'm beginning to feel really angry with the ghostwriter, the editor and the publisher who teased this kind of shit out of him and then took the decision to use it. I hope they don't escape scrutiny in the fallout from this debacle. I know Harry's an adult and appears to have capacity (though his mental health problems are becoming increasingly obvious) but writers and editors and publishers do owe their subjects a duty of care. I hope they had extensive discussions with legal advisors before printing his comments about killing Afghans and so on. I hope that his editor and publisher sat him down and pointed out how unhinged he might sound and suggested revisions and have records of his refusal to cut some of this stuff. I know he's had a ridiculously massive advance and Penguin Random House needs to make its money back, but publishing things that get their client killed by jihadis or sued for defamation isn't good business. Sometimes you need to protect people from themselves. Saying 'He insisted on including this' isn't good enough.

His ghostwriter is a very well known and experienced journalist and author whose own memoir was made into a Hollywood film directed by George Clooney and starring Ben Affleck. He co-wrote autobiographies with other famous people (Andre Agassi), has won awards for his work, and ghost wrote Phil Knight's (billionaire who founded Nike) memoir. He has been a journalist and author for 30+ years. He certainly would know what was or wasn't appropriate to publish.

I'm beginning to feel really angry with the ghostwriter

Hmm, but J R Moehringer is an award winning novelist and journalist, well versed in the biography genre - he’s not a Lady Colin Campbell. Though I imagine there’s a fairly good chance, that if after a while this is still going down like a bucket of cold sick, there’ll be a chance for Harry to say ‘but he made me say that’

I think there is work going on behind the scenes for sure, but likely related to how his Afghanistan confession can be used as a cover story if/when he gets bunped off.

I'm guessing that Kate was reading out mumsnet posts to William about Harry being batshit and feeling relieved that it looks worse on Harry than on them.

Don't be so bloody ridiculous.

Talk about hang yourself with your own robe ... Harry needs help urgently and Megan is just playing the long game.. narcissistic woman

You can imagine Carole, Pippa & Kate posting screenshots to their WhatsApp group with several emojis can’t you 😂

I agree that anyone close to Harry will be desperately concerned for him - and no doubt furious.

It's evident that Harry is, and always has been, impulsive and hyperactive. Lots of fun to be around but stormy too. Then he experienced the death of his mother, was sent to boarding school and raised by myriad adults instead of a close therapeutic family and has used alcohol and drugs extensively.

He doesn't sound like anyone who should ever have been anywhere near a combat zone.

I admit part of me is fascinated by the sheer scale of the revelatory shit show, but there is another part that is really uncomfortable about witnessing someone so unwell doing so much damage to themselves. It is modern freak show.

I know this. Which is why I'm just as angry with the editor and publisher.

Just because someone has been successful in the past doesn't mean that, faced with a situation as toxic and fraught as this, they will necessarily get it right this time. I'll bet that Moehringer was far more circumspect in his own memoirs than Harry is here: Moehringer would have understood the consequences better than Harry probably did. Maybe Harry insisted that everything was included — but I think it's pretty clear that he's mentally and emotionally very fragile and under the influence of people who... well, I wouldn't like to speculate on others' motivations. Someone needed to be the adult in the room and draw a few lines.

In the 90s I wrote autobiographies for two celebrities. They sold well. I accepted a contract to write a third for a man who was at that time a TV household name. After our first two meetings I dropped out of the project because it seemed clear to me that he was either very depressed or medicated. Several of the things he told me, with the expectation of them being included in the book, were demonstrably false. I could see all sorts of problems arising, including defamation cases and further cause for depression. I didn't want to be a part of the potential furore the booked could cause. The fact that even a nobody like me could see the potential for unintended consequences makes me even more angry that Penguin Random House and Moehringer haven't behaved in a more protective way. Encouraging fragile and possibly not very bright people to make themselves a laughing stock is not a good look.

As for the implication that if George Clooney rates his work Moehringer must be okay... Are you Moehringer's agent?

Just because someone has been successful in the past doesn't mean that, faced with a situation as toxic and fraught as this, they will necessarily get it right this time.

He's an adult, presumably he proof read the book. Stop treating him like a simple child. He took advantage of his onetime position in the RF and received a huge advance and has to now take the consequences.

@pattihews Agree 100%. It's unbelievable how unprofessional the editor, publisher and everyone involved have been. Did none of them foresee that the Afghanistan revelations could create a security risk / foreign relations incident with the Taliban? Which might be particularly problematic with the coronation coming up?

I could have forseen that. Gross incompetence at best.

Given it's mostly a tell all family drama, why on earth did that have to be included? It doesn't add anything to Harry's list of grievances against his family.

There is no evidence that Harry is fragile or being unduly influenced. He is an immature, whiny, petty man, not vulnerable. He has a team of people around him. He is living his life the way he wants, telling his story the way he wants.

I'm beginning to feel really angry with the ghostwriter

That sounds suspiciously like Harold trying to blame his brother for the Nazi uniform. Nobody made him say all that stuff.

Portmanteau response. Harry has talked extensively about his mental health issues and about the stresses he and Meghan have been under. There's plenty of evidence of his fragility and the leaked anecdotes from the book, particularly the shooting Afghans like chess pieces comment, indicate someone who hasn't closely considered the implications of what they're saying.

He has advisors and people around him, you're right. I imagine they are the kind of hired hands who tell him what he wants to hear. There's some evidence that neither H or M take 'advice' that doesn't suit them.

It is from, ahem, the horse’s mouth - he has told us in the book that that’s what Willie calls him.

Surely his family know what he is like. I suspect they will ignore it mostly and no statements will be made. And be focussed on what the royal children hear and keeping them away from the gossip.
However, King Charles will need to make a decision whether or not Harry & Meghan can or cannot attend the coronation. The decision will be based on security advice only. This will give Harry more fodder.
Harry & Meghan will keep pulling a Kardashian. This is their income source.

@threecupsofteaminimum

Oh come on three cups! Honestly, quality of translation notwithstanding, what could you possibly put, either just before or just after those excerpts, that would at all detract from their awfulness???

Well possibly, I guess, “this bit never happened but wouldn’t it be funny if it had”. That’s the only kind of context which, had it been present, would have slightly diminished the cringe factor. In which case yes, how irresponsible for reporters to leave out such crucial context.

And be focussed on what the royal children hear and keeping them away from the gossip.

Indeed. Thankfully, Archie and Lili are still too young for this to affect them right now, but I do feel for the Wales' children today. I imagine the staff at their school are having a bit of a nightmare monitoring the playground/gossip at breaks today, to ensure that the children don't hear anything - Geroge is 9 (which makes him in Y5 I believe), not hard to imagine a child of that age teasing someone about their 'crazy uncle's frozen todger...'

I still think it’s a reference to the Battle of Hastings. William and Harold fighting.

I think it’s clear the book is written with a US slant. The Afghanistan body count, the therapy sessions etc which aren’t seen the same way as here. Throwing in a jolly reference to the monarchy’s lineage is part of that I’d imagine.

@pattihews I’m curious to know if that third man still published his book, whether you read it, if the dodgy bits were included and whether there were any repercussions?

Do you mean that Harry saying that that’s what William calls him is made up to allude to this or that this is why William calls him it? It just sounds like silly childhood nicknames to me?

Well they didn’t cover racism and racist abuse at Eton, so I can see how they could have missed out discussions about fascism as well. Sounds as though he would have got a much rounder and more relevant education at the local secondary, would probably have helped him deal with losing his virginity in a more dignified and appropriate way too.

😂😂👌🏼

I don't think it's too sombre at the palace...