According to insiders, Prince Charles is becoming “concerned over Harry’s chosen path” after his youngest son disclosed he had been covertly working on his memoirs.

Senior royals were only notified about the memoirs a few moments before Harry’s publisher, Penguin Random House, revealed the surprise contract on Monday.

The Prince of Wales feels his son is at a “crossroads” as he begins on life outside the royal family in the United States.

Friends of Prince Charles say his son is ‘bizarrely hellbent’ on smearing his father’s reputation, despite the Prince of Wales working hard for the past two decades to heal the harm caused by his relationship breakdown with Princess Diana and their subsequent divorce.

“Charles can certainly be accused of being somewhat old school in his emotions at times, but he loves both his sons dearly and has done the very best for them throughout their lives,” a royal insider told The Mirror.

“It would be correct to say he is concerned over Harry’s chosen path and does feel the constant attacks on his parenting style and other hurtful comments of members of the family are completely unjust.

“He would never want to push Harry further away than he already is doing already but it’s a difficult situation.”

Harry announced this week that he has been quietly working on his unnamed memoir for a year with Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer, with a late 2022 publishing date.

After reports that the memoir will be a “accurate and wholly truthful” account, the Palace is on high alert.

Its release coincides with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, when she will honour her record 70 years on the throne during four days of summer festivities, including an extra bank holiday in June.

“I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” Harry said in a statement.

Concerned royal aides are expected to seek behind-the-scenes reassurance about its substance.

Another source questioned Harry’s motivations, saying, “Is it his intention to ruin his father’s reputation as he prepares to be King?

“After all he has done for him it seems he is bizarrely hellbent on doing so which is incredibly sad.”

“The family must be despairing,” royal biographer Penny Junor said. “This is a man who they all love and he seems to be doing his best to embarrass and damage his family.”

“I think it’s a bit early to be writing a proper memoir.

“I imagine it is self justification and it’s exploring himself, and finding himself, but it’s going to be, I suspect, at other people’s expense.”

The book plans come after Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey and an appearance on a LA open-top bus with James Corden.