Prince Andrew relinquishes titles and honours

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was the subject of Lownie’s biography (Image: PA)

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie is suing a US publisher after it pulled the plug on the publication of his bombshell book on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. The book, which was published in the summer and was an instant UK bestseller, was due to be released in the US but was pulled at the last minute, the author claims.

This meant Mr Lownie was forced to self-publish the book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, on Amazon. He claims that UK Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, cancelled the book deal and described the work as “unpublishable”.

The author told American news site NewsNation: “(Gallery) bought the book based on a finished manuscript in February. They advertised the book and everything — and then pulled the plug a few weeks before the book was set to come out, and they said it was unreadable.”

 

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Mr Lownie added: ”But according to their contract, they had to give me 90 days’ notice, which they did not.”

He is suing the publisher for £372,000 ($500,000).

According to the lawsuit: “On May 15, 2025, Defendant terminated the Agreement for ‘unacceptability’ despite Plaintiff having sixty-two days remaining in that ninety-day period — a clear breach of the Agreement’s express provision and in bad faith….

“Because the Defendant terminated the agreement prior to the 90-day period the contract provided for revisions, and ultimately failed to publish within the timeframe required by the Agreement, Plaintiff is entitled to the second and final installments of the advance payment.”

"Entitled: The Rise and Fall Of The House Of York

Andrew Lownie’s book was released in August (Image: Getty)

Mr Lownie said losing the contract was “very damaging” as his books weren’t stocked in shops.

“They didn’t go through with their own contract,” he said. “They basically just pulled the rug out from under me. I had to create a company called Westminster Press to publish my own book. This was very damaging. I didn’t have any copies out in bookshops.”