Prince Harry accused of stealing Kate Middleton's thunder on Meghan's request

Prince Harry’s hotly-anticipated memoir, set to hit the global shelves on January 10, seems to cause big controversy with the timing of its release as it's so close to a milestone for Kate Middleton.

There are speculations that Harry wants to tease the Princess of Wales with his decision to release his book on the next day of Kate's 41st birthday which falls on January 9, 2023.

There are also rumours that the Duke selected the release date of his book on the request of his wife Meghan, he "worships". It's not confirmed, but people think so as Prince William and Harry continue to be at odds, their wives Kate and Meghan have also not been at the best of terms.

During her interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle had talked about her relationship with Kate Middleton, saying: “A few days before the wedding she was upset about flower girl dresses and it made me cry. It really hurt my feelings. It was a really hard week of the wedding."

Royal expert Daniela Elser, writing for Australian outlet news.com.au, described the new date as an “odd choice”, not least because it comes a day after the future Queen’s birthday. She also pinpointed January as what she called a “strange retail deadzone” following the Christmas period.

Professor Pauline Maclaran of Royal Holloway, University of London, told Express.co.uk: "I doubt if the memoir is deliberately timed for the Princess of Wales’ birthday but certainly this is bound to cause controversy and accusations of Harry trying to steal the limelight."