The recent announcement that Prince Harry will publish his memoirs late next year (opens in new tab) has royal fans white-eyed with excitement. But the actual members of the royal inner circle are apparently feeling the stress.

It was quickly reported (and most who follow the royal family agree) that the royal family is worried about what revelations Harry will write in his book, but according to the Daily Mail (opens in new tab), that cloud of worry is also hanging over Harry's oldest and closest friends (opens in new tab)

"Harry's most old and close friends are also hanging over him.

"It seems so hypocritical, considering Harry kicked me out of his friend group for talking to the press," one friend told the Mail about the possibility of Harry telling personal details involving them in the book. Some worry that Harry's revelation of details of their hedonistic youth could wreak havoc on their careers and personal lives."

That "hedonistic youth," of course, refers to Harry's wild days, when he made headlines by being photographed naked in Las Vegas (opens in new tab) and attending costume parties wearing Nazi uniforms (opens in new tab). But not all of his youthful debauchery is newsworthy, and friends who were Harry's partners at the time understandably want to avoid having their disgraceful stories appear in the royal records.

If the Daily Mail's sources are correct, some of Harry's friends (open in new tab) believe that anything written that would damage their current reputation would be a deal-breaker.

"Harry's friends have been loyal to him so far," one friend ominously told the Daily Mail, implying that all bets may be off as to whether Harry's inner circle will keep his secret in the future.

Another source is less oblique, saying, "If Harry blames his old school and army buddies in his new book, they have vowed to break ranks to tell their story."

Reports indicate that some of Harry's friendships have already been strained in recent years (opens in new tab), with some friends not being selected for the reception guest list for his and Meghan Markle's 2018 royal wedding (opens in new tab) and most friends claim that since moving to California, they have had much less contact with Harry in general.

According to one of the Mail's sources, "friendly emails have not been returned" to members of Harry's entourage, giving them "little confidence.