THIS week marks a year since Prince Harry caused shockwaves around the world with his explosive autobiography Spare.
But whatever his intentions were by releasing the bombshell book, it has “backfired” according to one royal expert as 12 months on Harry’s reputation lies in tatters and his relationship with his family, particularly Prince William, left irreparable.
Royal expert Jennie Bond exclusively told Fabulous: “I’m not sure what Harry hoped to achieve with his blood letting in Spare, apart obviously from a very handsome pay cheque.
“Whatever it was, it seems to have largely backfired as his popularity on both sides of the Atlantic is languishing and the deeply personal attacks on his family only deepened the rift with them.”
The prince’s book, released on January 10th last year, came hot off the heels of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries and explosive chat with Oprah Winfrey where they made a series of bombshell revelations, including how two royals allegedly questioned the colour of Prince Archie’s skin tone.
But there was more to come in Harry’s book, as he recalled an alleged altercation with his brother William which ended with him falling into a dog bowl. He also revealed how William disapproved of Harry’s marriage to Meghan and once called her “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”
Harry’s father King Charles was also in the firing line for criticism. Harry laid into his father for not hugging him after the death of his mother, Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and claimed the King would often make jokes of “poor taste” about his paternity.
Kate, who Harry once hailed as the ‘sister I never had’, and stepmother Camilla were also not spared in the attack.
The Princess of Wales was accused of being cold towards her sister-in-law Meghan and claimed she was “disgusted” when Meghan asked to use her lipgloss.
He also partially blamed Kate and William for his decision to wear the controversial Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005, claiming they both “howled” when they saw him.
Meanwhile, Harry branded Camilla the “villain” and a “wicked stepmother” and accused her of leaking stories to the media about Prince William.
Despite Harry’s deluge of personal attacks on his family in his book, Jennie says the royal family has come out unscathed – while she believes it’s the prince’s reputation and popularity has fallen.
She said: “It seems to me that the royal family have come an awful long way since the multiple bombshells of Harry’s book.
“It was perhaps a risky strategy simply to rise above it, say nothing and carry on, heads held high, but I think it has proved a highly effective tactic.
“Through solid hard work, interaction with the public, carefully orchestrated campaigns to help the underprivileged, the needy, the homeless and even the planet, the royal family have spent the past year focusing their attention on what they do best – shining a light on issues that need attention and that has cemented their popularity.
“King Charles and Camilla may not yet have achieved the heady heights of the late Queen’s extraordinary popularity, but they are faring well and have garnered a fair measure of public sympathy for withstanding the assaults on their character and behaviour from Harry and Meghan.
“The same goes for William and Catherine. It must have been one in the eye for Harry to have his big brother named as the most popular figure in the USA.”
Meanwhile brand and PR expert Denise Palmer-Davies, director of Borne Media, agrees, saying the book was “a publicity exercise gone wrong”.
She told Fabulous: “Harry probably thought that airing his dirty laundry about his family would bring him sympathy, and make the public turn on his family. But it’s done quite the opposite. It has made him look childish and petty and also shows he has little respect or loyalty for his family. The fact that the public have warmed towards the King and Camilla, and that they hold Kate and William in such high regard despite these accusations shows that the book was a publicity exercise gone wrong.”
Jennie believes that while Harry might not be apologetic about writing the book, he will have to accept it has made permanent damage to his relationship with his family.
“Whether he regrets writing it, we may never know,” Jennie said.
“I suspect he feels better for having bared his soul, revealed what he believes were palace plots and conspiracies to undermine him and vented his anger at having been born second.
“It fits with the Californian therapy-led ‘let it all out’ ethos of the life he is now living. And although it earned him some sympathy in the UK, especially for his mental anguish, it did little to increase respect for him here.
“Harry and Meghan must now accept that the monarchy can manage perfectly well without them.
“The family happily gathers at big events, like birthdays and Christmas, without the Sussexes.
“The ‘Fab Four’ is now Charles, Camilla, William and Catherine.”
