Prince Harry reluctant to meet family over fears memoir will 'cause a lot of hurt'

A royal expert claimed that Prince Harry is only using the lack of police protection as his excuse to not return to the U.K. In fact, it is the consequences of his memoir that are making him hesitant to return home.

Royal biographer Tom Bower said the Duke of Sussex is actually worried about facing his family because of his upcoming book. It is said that he is under pressure to make his memoir as explosive as possible because he has already been paid for it. His publisher Penguin Random House reportedly gave him £14m as upfront payment ahead of the book's release later this year.

The contents of the book are said to be what is making Prince Harry reluctant to go home. It is not because he fears for his safety when he is in the U.K. because of the lack of police protection.

"I personally think he won't come back this year. I think the notion that he's worried about his own security and needs the Met Police is an excuse," Bower told Closer magazine.

He added, "Sadly, we won't see him or Meghan back in the UK anytime soon. And I think Harry won't come back because he knows he cannot face his family, and be pleasant with them, knowing what he's written about them in that book."

Bower is certain that the duke's memoir "will have a lot of casualties and cause a lot of hurt." He is sure that Prince Harry will live up to what the publisher expects because of the money.

"It will really deliver, as Harry knows it has to, to justify the money he's been paid to do it. How can Harry come back and pretend it's all fine?" the royal expert added, and warned that "the worst of what he will say is yet to come."

Bower echoed what royal commentator Neil Sean said about Prince Harry needing to include "salacious" revelations about the royal family in his memoir. The contents of the book would likely shock his family and he has no way of warning them in advance because his publisher would not want a draft or even a copy to get leaked ahead of the release.