Prince Harry 'didn't need' Queen's permission to write memoir; gave royals a 'heads up'

Prince Harry let the royal family know he was planning to publish a new tell-all book, it's been reported. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Harry did not need the Queen's permission to write his new memoir, but he did give the royals warning.

Earlier this week Penguin Random House announced that the Duke of Sussex is writing a book due to be released late next year.

And Harry, 36, privately told the royal family about his newest project before it was announced, a spokesperson has told People.

They added that Harry would not have been expected to ask permission from Buckingham Palace to move forward with the publication.

Buckingham Palace would not comment, instead telling the outlet, "Any clarification about the book would be a question for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."

In a statement on Monday, Harry declared he was writing the book "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."

The new book comes in the wake of the couple's revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey. Photo / Supplied

He went on to say, "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 firsthand account of my life that's accurate and wholly truthful."

The profits from the book and audiobook, which will cover his childhood, military years and his journey as a husband and father, will be donated to charity.

And he isn't the first royal family member to share his story in his own words. His great-uncle Edward, Duke of Windsor, who famously abdicated the throne in 1936 so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, also produced his own ghost-written biography in 1951.

The book was titled A King's Story: The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor and recalled his royal upbringing, his relationship with Simpson and his decision to give up his position as monarch for her.