For decades, there has been speculation that Harry is not Prince Charles’ son, but rather the love child of Princess Diana and Major James Hewitt. The rumors have been reinforced by the red-headed prince’s similarity to Hewitt throughout the years, despite the fact that Diana’s father was a redhead and her sisters and brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, all had red hair as children. Harry has clearly grown to resemble Charles, with his close-set blue eyes and virtually similar nose.

The fact that Harry was born in 1984, two years before Diana met Hewitt, is very relevant. Several people close to the princess, including her former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, have spoken out against the falsehood in the hopes of putting the rumors to bed. Wharfe said in his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret that “The malicious rumors that still persist about the paternity of Prince Harry used to anger Diana greatly. The nonsense should be scotched here and now … and the red hair gossips so love to cite as proof is, of course, a Spencer trait.”

Buckingham Palace speaks out on Prince Harry’s Memoir

When Prince Harry announced on Monday, July 19, that he will be publishing a book on his time as a royal, Twitter couldn’t wait to hear all about it. The rest of the royal family, on the other hand, is keeping their emotions under wraps at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately reply to the news, but it did make the unusual action of declining to comment rather than remaining silent. The Palace told PEOPLE that any explanation concerning the book would be a question for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the couple recently told People that Prince Harry had discussed the book with his family privately, and that asking for permission was not part of the conversation.

However, royal analyst Richard Fitzwilliams warned that Harry’s memoir may be “totally unpredictable”

“Its mere existence is a form of a lever to potentially use against the royal family in whatever is to come.

“This book has the potential to be dynamite. But the thing is, what do the Sussexes really want from the royal family next? What do they want them to do?

“They have gone rogue. It is a fact. It’s incredibly worrying because they are so totally unpredictable. Anything is possible.” He told the sun online.

According to the press release, Harry’s memoir will cover his time in the royal family: “Covering his lifetime in the public eye from childhood to the present day, including his dedication to service, the military duty that twice took him to the frontlines of Afghanistan, and the joy he has found in being a husband and father, Prince Harry will offer an honest and captivating personal portrait, one that shows readers that behind everything they think they know lies an inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story.

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

“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,” he said. The book’s proceeds will be donated to charity.

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan stood down from their top royal family positions. They made the move permanent earlier this year and now reside in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie, who is two years old, and Lili, who is one month old. They gave Oprah Winfrey a bombshell tell-all interview about their lives as working royal family members in March.