Princess’s uncle Gary threatens legal action after fake memoirs are sold on Amazon
By Claudia Joseph
THREE books purporting to be ‘memoirs’ of the Princess of Wales’s uncle Gary Goldsmith and containing made-up anecdotes about the Royal Family have been published online by Amazon.
Appearing on the e-commerce giant’s books section, the fake memoirs promise to ‘unveil the secrets’ of the senior Royals, as well as Harry and Meghan.
Mr Goldsmith, who is Kate’s mother’s younger brother, is furious about the deception. Having been tipped off by The Mail on Sunday, which discovered the fakes, the 58-year-old multi-millionaire is considering legal action.
The first book, Gary Goldsmith’s Memoir: What You Didn’t Know About The Royal Family, costs £5.72 and was written by ‘Robin O Owens’.
It states that ‘the uncle to Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, reveals information about the Royal Family the public rarely gets to hear’.
One outlandish anecdote describes Mr Goldsmith witnessing the Queen doing ‘a flawless impersonation of a Royal
The books are ‘total cock and bull and shambolic nonsense’
correspondent’s posh accent after one too many cocktails’ at Balmoral Castle.
The second book, The Insider’s Scoop: Gary Goldsmith’s Revelations About Harry And Meghan’s Private Life, written by ‘Penny Crux’, costs £4.04 and has a distinctly pro-Sussex slant.
Absurdly, it claims that Mr Goldsmith has described himself as Meghan’s uncle – before going on categorically to refute his ‘claims’ at the end of each chapter.
The third, Gary Goldsmith: The Unfilsmith tered Truth: My Personal Odyssey With The Royal Family; Unveiling The Secrets, by ‘Gary J Smith’, costs £6.41 and reads more like a novel than a biography.
All three books have now been withdrawn from sale from Amazon’s Kindle store.
Other false stories in the books include a crude prank involving Prince William and toilet paper, as well as anecdotes about Mr Goldsmith being summoned by the late Queen Elizabeth II ‘to her private chambers, where we would engage in conversations that left me both exhilarated and unnerved’. In truth, he never met the Queen.
Last night, Mr Goldsmith told the
MoS: ‘I never gave a third-party permission, nor conducted an interview or shared any private details pertaining to my life or that of my family. It’s total cock and bull – and shambolic nonsense.’
He has demanded Amazon reveals the names of those behind the scam and is consulting lawyers.
He added: ‘I want to take legal action against those publishing fake news for putting words in my mouth. They have stolen my image and identity and caused me loss and embarrassment.’
The MoS discovered the books after a story appeared in celebrity magazine OK! claiming Mr Goldwas ‘putting the finishing touches’ to a tell-all memoir, which would give the Middletons a ‘voice’.
Further stories appeared in Tatler, the Daily Mirror, Marie Claire, the Express and on GB News. OK! claimed the Princess of Wales was ‘afraid’ of the ‘upcoming memoir’ and that she and Prince William had requested that her uncle tone down the book.
Even former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond was apparently duped, saying the book would ‘deepen the rift and provoke retaliation from the Sussexes’.
It is not clear if the books were written by artificial intelligence but they are littered with errors and poor grammar. Significantly, some of the spelling is American.
Also, there are references to nonexistent Royal aides such as Lords Percival and Reginald.
The author or authors also appear to be fans of Meghan and Harry, describing them as having ‘an undeniable chemistry, their love... evident in every interaction’.
All three books, which appeared within weeks of each other, have a similar tone, suggesting they have been uploaded by the same person.
Mr Goldsmith, who lives in London with his wife Julie-Ann, said after bringing the fakes to Amazon’s notice, he got a grudging apology.
An Amazon spokesman said: ‘The titles in question are no longer available for sale and we have contacted Mr Goldsmith directly.’
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2023-12-10T08:00:00.0000000Z
2023-12-10T08:00:00.0000000Z
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