Rumors are swirling that Prince Andrew is in discussions with American authors to write a bombshell autobiography. Dubbed by insiders as "Spare 2.0," the memoir would follow Prince Harry's contentious book, "Spare." The scandal-ridden Duke of York reportedly sees an autobiography as an opportunity to clear his name after the Jeffrey Epstein debacle.
After the infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview disaster, Prince Andrew aims for more control with a book. A close source said, "Compared to Harry, he has a far greater depth of history to draw from. Writing a book would give him the opportunity to fully explain his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the resulting fall-out."
US author and interviewer Daphne Barak, known for writing biographies of Amy Winehouse and former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is rumored to be in talks with the Duke. However, she is currently working on a separate book project unrelated to the Royals.
Two major publishers are said to be intrigued by an autobiography from Prince Andrew, who settled out-of-court with sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre last year. A profitable book deal could be a financial lifeline for Andrew, who has revealed to friends that he received no inheritance from the Queen upon her passing. Additionally, King Charles's plan to reduce Royal funding could force Andrew to leave Royal Lodge if he cannot afford the costly maintenance.
However, Jeremy Murphy, founder of New York-based PR firm 360bespoke, warns that Andrew may have difficulty securing a substantial book deal, as many publishers are owned by massive corporations that may not want to associate with him. Instead, a smaller publisher looking to make a name for itself may be more likely to take him on.
Tony Lyons, president of New York-based Skyhorse, which has published books shunned by rivals, said, "Andrew's book is of great public interest, the world needs to hear his side of the story." Daphne Barak declined to comment, and the Duke of York's office did not respond to requests for comment.
