The Duke of Sussex’s upcoming memoir is reportedly being released under the same super-secure security measures used to protect the plot of the last ‘Harry Potter’ book.
The Duke of Sussex’s upcoming memoir is reportedly being released under the same super-secure security measures used to protect the last book in the ‘Harry Potter’ series
Publishing insiders told the Daily Mail on Wednesday (04.01.23) Prince Harry’s autobiography ‘Spare’, out January 10, has sparked a huge logistics operation to stop its contents leaking before it is in bookshops across the globe and available as an e-book.
The publication said sources claimed arrangements for the 38-year-old’s memoir's release were “closely guarded and being managed in minute detail, with only a handful of senior executives aware of the exact particulars”. It added: “Deliveries to bookshops are being scheduled to be last-minute, and guarded sites across the world have been secured to house copies of the book prior to distribution.”
The Mail also reported one source had compared the security operation to the release of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ in 2007, when millions of pounds were said to have been spent to stop any leaks to spoil the ending for its army of young fans.
Guards, satellite tracking systems in delivery vans and legal contracts were used to protect the 10 million first copies of the book, and when the final manuscript was hand-delivered from London to New York, a lawyer for the American publisher sat on the flight.
The hardback version of ‘Spare’ – which references Harry’s nickname the ‘spare heir’ – will be on shelves from Tuesday morning, with the Kindle version available just after midnight that day.
Even though it is being published in 16 languages, it is understood the varying time zones will not be used for readers to get earlier copies, with readers in Australia being told copies will not be available until January 11.
Buckingham Palace was reportedly not been given an advance copy of the manuscript, and insiders say the royal family may stay silent over its contents, as they have done so far after the release of Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series ‘Harry and Meghan’, which contained allegations about the royal including that they suffered “unconscious bias” when it came to race.
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