By Jasmine Jones
The anticipated new memoir from Prince Harry, is a complicated and explosive book. It paints a sad and unbelievably raw account of the experience of growing up inside one of the most famous families, and has broken all records upon release becoming the UKÔÇÖs best-selling memoir ever in just the first week of sales. From the impact of his motherÔÇÖs death, to the fragility of his relationship with his brother and father, Spare spills decades old secrets about the running of ÔÇÿThe FirmÔÇÖ and the bitter conflict that resulted in the most-loved royal fleeing the country.
I find myself conflicted. I am against the monarchy for multiple reasons, including its deep-rooted history with colonialism, and the concept of power as a birthright. Yet, I will happily binge watch the latest series of The Crown and of course, keep up to date with the latest headlines surrounding the recent releases of Harry and MeghanÔÇÖs Netflix documentary, interviews, and memoir. That said, the more I got into this book, the more I understood that the purpose was never to display the royal familyÔÇÖs domestic disputes like some sort of reality show, but to highlight the damage the British press has inflicted upon a young family, and how that media bias tore apart relationships within an already complicated institution.
The book begins with a stylistic nod to lyrical literature; Harry is waiting for his brother and father to arrive at Frogmore after Prince PhilipÔÇÖs Funeral in a last attempt to resolve years of friction.
ÔÇ£I turned my back to the wind and saw, looming behind me, the Gothic ruin, which in reality was no more Gothic than the Millennium Wheel,ÔÇØ
He writes with a Shakespearean tone, foreshadowing the tragic story that we know follows.
Initially, Harry writes fondly about ÔÇÿPaÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿWillyÔÇÖ, describing treasured times from his childhood where Charles would leave notes on his pillow about how proud he was of his youngest. William, despite a growing sibling rivalry, is said to be the only person who truly understands the trauma of their motherÔÇÖs death and is the first person Harry turns to when he encounters problems at a young age. Despite this, Harry writes that both have been ÔÇÿcorruptedÔÇÖ by the responsibilities of the Crown – a responsibility he has never quite understood.
ÔÇ£I was brought into the world in case something happened to WillyÔÇÖ
In this chapter we understand the real meaning of the novelÔÇÖs title, as we are introduced to the concept of ÔÇÿHeirs over SparesÔÇÖ. The bitterness is overwhelming, yet counterbalanced by heart-wrenching accounts of his late mother, who also suffered at the hands of the press and did her best to shield Harry from the ÔÇÿSpareÔÇÖ label. He states that he sees Diana everywhere – through Meghan, through nature – and tries to stay connected with her and her values through his extensive charity work.
It isnÔÇÖt all a tale of tragedy however. Many funny anecdotal moments appear throughout, several of which were leaked after the book was accidentally released four days early in Spain.
Stories of his frostbitten penis, jokes about Major James Hewitt as his biological father, and an anecdote about losing his virginity ÔÇ£in a grassy field behind a busy pubÔÇØ all feature; possibly this is an attempt to humanise a man who has been sheltered and quiet about his life until now.
And of course, the love that Harry has for Meghan and his two young children is abundantly evident in the final section of the book. Harry describes his immense fear of losing Meghan in the same way he lost his mother, sharing a raw and fresh perspective into the stories that we have heard so much about in the media the last few years. Speaking candidly about MeghanÔÇÖs mental health battle while they were both working royals, he dedicates this section to his wife and their future together, in a gesture that nods to moving on at last. One thing is for sure – for someone who speaks so passionately about the hounding of the press and a desire for privacy, Spare is a far more intrusive story into their lives and royalty than any tabloid has ever written. Whilst celebrity memoirs are rarely much to shout about, the context behind this book has allowed it to be both well-written and revealing, giving everyone the opportunity to view the royals, the British press, and a family who have been through a tumultuous journey over the last few years, in a never-before-seen light. Personal opinions on Harry and Meghan aside, Spare is a fascinating and eloquent book of tragedy, love, and conflict; I would recommend that anybody give it a read.
