Royal historian Andrew Lownie has spoken publicly about receiving a legal notice following the release of his unofficial biography Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
Lownie joined The Royal Report podcast to discuss the controversy, which stemmed from a small section of the book mentioning Prince Harry. The historian explained that Harry was never meant to feature prominently in the work, but pressure from his publisher led him to include a brief account of alleged tensions.
“Harry wasn’t in my book at all. And I think when the book came in, the publisher said, maybe just out of interest, what was the relationship between Andrew and Harry?” Lownie recalled.
According to Lownie, he went back to his source, who provided him with details of two alleged altercations: one in 2013 and another in 2017, the latter reportedly involving Meghan Markle. “And I put it in and I didn’t think any of us thought that it was anything but a sort of passing moment,” he said.
The addition, however, resulted in legal action. Lownie said, “I mean, I don’t remember the lawyers even raising it, but clearly he took umbrage at the suggestion that he had defended his wife’s honor and instead of just asking for a correction or anything, sent off legal letters to Harper Collins, my publishers.”
Faced with the complaint, Lownie said he rechecked the claims. “I had to double down with my source and make sure it was accurate, which we believe it is,” he explained. The publishers responded by adding a disclaimer noting Harry’s denial of the allegations. “Collins has responded in a responsible way; they’ve added a line, actually, and I recorded the line for the audiobook a couple of days ago, just saying that Harry denies these allegations.
And I hope that will be the end of it.” Lownie emphasized that there was no intent to harm Harry’s reputation. “I mean, I don’t think it’s defamatory. I think it actually presents him in quite a positive light, and certainly, there was no desire to cause offense. It was just a sort of reflection,” he said.
While the issue has raised questions about the boundaries of royal biography, Lownie’s measured response and the publisher’s clarification may bring the matter to a close. For now, the historian maintains confidence in his sources while acknowledging the sensitivity that comes with writing about members of the royal family.