"Spare" memoir by the Duke of Sussex (2023)

[Frelinghighness]

I can’t believe he’s ridiculing a gift he got from his great aunt when he was a child! How embarrassing. Thank God I don’t have to read this book. And what about his relationship with Sarah and David? Doesn’t he realize this will hurt them also?

 

[Denville]

I'm not quite sure what point you're making that's different to mine? There's no evidence that he used drugs while on active service but he did avoid a random drugs test at a base in the UK. As soon as it became known the testers had arrived, Harry was called away "on urgent palace business".

His latest therapist said "I'm surprised you're not a drug addict" and Harry doesn't dispute that by admitting he is. The evidence of his drug abuse covers Class A drugs but seems weighted towards cannabis, which isn't proven to be physically addictive but studies have shown it can be detrimental to some people mentally.

Harry is hardly going to say he's a drug addict is he? He's supposed to be involved in projects for mental health, he's supposed to be saying that he has now overcome his previous problems, so he's not going to admit that he was ever addicted. He might still be using drugs, for all we know. Aand from what I understand, he's been using Cocaine, and the cannabis that's going around now is a lot stronger than what was going around in the 60s and 70s, which was probalby relatively harmless -.

 

[Denville]

I







Exactly this. I genuinely don't understand how these defenders are unable to see the very real mental health problems that he himself has laid bare for all the world to see. Part of genuinely caring about someone, as they so loudly profess to do, is caring about their mental state and caring whether or not they're living in and adequately processing reality even when it's difficult. Harry is quite clearly having a difficult time with this and apparently has for a long, long time.

well it is pretty naked isnt it? He is so obsessed with his mum that he thinks of her in doing something like putting cream on his penis. he believed fro 10 years that she had faked her death, he felt it was OK to punch and hit his security guard.... he really is a mess.

 

[Ghost]

Regarding the drug use: we don’t have how to find out if he used during his ten years in the military. What I can say with certainty is that all psychoactive substances are not to be used, the only exceptions are coffee and tobacco. All the rest are not permitted when on duty. I work in the civil part of the aviation industry, we have training all the time about this. Psychoactive means alcohol, opioides, cannabinoids, sedatives and hypnotics, cocaine, other psychostimulants, hallucinogens, volatile solvents.

 

[Denville]

Regarding the drug use: we don’t have how to find out if he used during his ten years in the military. What I can say with certainty is that all psychoactive substances are not to be used, the only exceptions are coffee and tobacco. All the rest are not permitted when on duty. I work in the civil part of the aviation industry, we have training all the time about this. Psychoactive means alcohol, opioides, cannabinoids, sedatives and hypnotics, cocaine, other psychostimulants, hallucinogens, volatile solvents.

I think it was very likely that he used druing his years in the army, but not sure how he evaded drug tests.

 

[Ghost]

I think it was very likely that he used druing his years in the army, but not sure how he evaded drug tests.

Of course he did. He was warned before it happened or spared the tests, that’s all.

 

[Denville]

Of course he did. He was warned before it happened or spared the tests, that’s all.

but over 10 years surely there were many tests? How could he evade them all? Were they likley to let him skip a test, if he was on active service and his drug uses could harm people?

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

I'm so sorry to hear this. My condolences. This forum often is a wonderful distraction when life gets too heavy. Hopefully you're enjoying some time on the sofa with the laptop and a nice hot tea or coffee.



My own personal opinion is that Margaret and the odd stories about her were included in an attempt at equating her "spare" status and eccentricities or difficulties with his own in some weird, roundabout way.



Truly great British humor is an artform and a thing of beauty. This book isn't it. The Governor General of Bermuda joke and that fact that it flew straight over Harry's head is hilarious. While I already liked the new Queen very, very much, this certainly added to my appreciation of her and her sense of humor.



Exactly this. I genuinely don't understand how these defenders are unable to see the very real mental health problems that he himself has laid bare for all the world to see. Part of genuinely caring about someone, as they so loudly profess to do, is caring about their mental state and caring whether or not they're living in and adequately processing reality even when it's difficult. Harry is quite clearly having a difficult time with this and apparently has for a long, long time.

Thanks so much, Heather

I am very concerned about his mental health too - both when he wrote the book and now. Surely he has had trauma informed therapies? Like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) - this is a bizarre sounding treatment but is research based and clinically effective in processing traumatic memories. Didn’t he say he saw one helpful therapist in the UK? Everyone does Telehealth now so he wouldn’t have to go there to see this person again. In the article (upthread somewhere) that Julia Samuel, a therapist and Diana’s friend, wrote about Harry’s oversharing, you can tell that she is very concerned.

Now that the book has spectacularly backfired and his reputation is in shreds, how is Harry going to handle that? Not too well, I fear. Surely Meghan sees how deep his issues are? It affects everything- and parenting is part of that. If he were my spouse (not likely :lol) I’d find an inpatient treatment program to begin to help him heal from all of this and learn healthier coping strategies. My suggestion of inpatient instead of outpatient to get away from everything and everyone - press, phones, family, friends - everyone.

 

[Prinsara]

Surely Meghan sees how deep his issues are? It affects everything- and parenting is part of that. If he were my spouse (not likely :lol) I’d find an inpatient treatment program to begin to help him heal from all of this and learn healthier coping strategies. My suggestion of inpatient instead of outpatient to get away from everything and everyone - press, phones, family, friends - everyone.

If she only sees how deep his issues are in the public's negative reaction as opposed to...having read the book herself? Or everything up to now? That's not great.

There is also the not-unreasonable speculation that she is fueling and enabling many of those issues, unfortunately.

Does she love him enough to see that he needs a change and more help, for his own sake if not their reputation? Guess we'll see.

 

[Ghost]

but over 10 years surely there were many tests? How could he evade them all? Were they likley to let him skip a test, if he was on active service and his drug uses could harm people?

I don’t know, I can make suppositions that have no value. What I am sure is that him being who he is (the prince he was born), was coddled in all the ways. I don’t know how these tests are scheduled, someone might have informed him of the dates. Of course the instructor and all the people will say he was brilliant, they are not going to say he was lousy but we made him pass the exams.

 

[Alison H]

The Telegraph's suggested (behind a paywall) that "sources" have suggested that Meghan had reservations about the book.

 

[Denville]

I don’t know, I can make suppositions that have no value. What I am sure is that him being who he is (the prince he was born), was coddled in all the ways. I don’t know how these tests are scheduled, someone might have informed him of the dates. Of course the instructor and all the people will say he was brilliant, they are not going to say he was lousy but we made him pass the exams.

well there's a difference between pushing him to pass his exams and saying he was a reasonably good student as a pilot.. and letting him get away with flying while addled with drugs. One is understandable, the other isn't. the army's not going to let him put their men at risk so Hary can skip a drug test.

 

[Denville]

If s

Does she love him enough to see that he needs a change and more help, for his own sake if not their reputation? Guess we'll see.

Honestly I dont thnk she does. I think that she does not perhaps realise how out of control he's coming across or how people are noticing all the lies and confusion.

 

[_Heather_]

I think that she does not perhaps realise how out of control he's coming across or how people are noticing all the lies and confusion.

Or she didn't really but is starting to and this is why she's been so conspicuously quiet and out of sight these last few weeks.

 

[Denville]

Or she didn't really but is starting to and this is why she's been so conspicuously quiet and out of sight these last few weeks.

Perhaps.... she may well be preparing for a distancing of herself from him.

 

[_Heather_]

Perhaps.... she may well be preparing for a distancing of herself from him.

Quite possibly. That's certainly what's to be believed if one is following this on social media as it all plays out. Or it may be a case of reality setting in about how he's coming across and realizing that stoking the flames might be a really, really bad move if they want to salvage their reputations, business connections like BetterUp, etc. Or maybe it's a combination of both.

 

[Erin9]

"Spare" memoir by the Duke of Sussex (2023)

Perhaps.... she may well be preparing for a distancing of herself from him.

The “ sources” that Alison H referenced upthread in the Telegraph article that said Meghan had reservations about the book could mean just that: she’s distancing herself from him. And one source could easily be her.

Now- whether she always had concerns or she’s claiming to now because she sees how badly this book has gone over- hard to say. I tend to go with the latter though. What Meghan thinks seems to matter a lot to Harry.

 

[HighGoalHighDreams]

I noticed something interesting re: Harry’s use of drugs and the conversation with his therapist about him not being addicted. She asks if he has used drugs and he says he has and tells her “some wild stories.”

But this doesn’t add up, does it? By Harry’s own telling, he used cocaine “a few times” when he was 17, well over a decade before and with minimal effects. Other than that, he describes one isolated incident of using mushrooms and marijuana use. This should not add up to having “some wild stories” to tell in his late 30s- maybe one, two, or a small handful. No, there is something more here.

We also know he lied about his drug use to avoid a major scandal around the time of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. And the story he tells about the early 2002 story is confusing at best- he furiously denies every aspect of it, but his own account of his life at that time confirms a big chunk of it.

There is a lot more of Harry’s story to tell, and it’s no mistake that he’s yet to tell it.

 

[Granada]

I think 2023 will be the make or break year for The Sussex's.

Spare has shown Harry to be petty, bitter and sadly not to bright. Not afraid to mock, belittle and demean People both dead and alive. Trashing reputations of Family Members, Staff, EVEN a disabled School Matron from decades ago, with ridiculous remembrances and pointless scathing attacks.
Can't imagine what poor "Granny" would have made of this ? And, She was intended to have been around to have seen the Book released too ! So much for the Sussex's mantras..... "Compassion in Action".
For who ? It appears each other and their kids. Everyone else is fair game.

Harry to me, must be challenging and high maintenance to live with, or worse....work for. Hair trigger temper, thin skinned, with it seems little coping abilities, except lashing out, blaming others and relying way to much on Alcohol and Weed.

He also has fanciful and far fetched beliefs about his wife being "magical" and poor Diana as being ghostly, with special powers, "otherworldly".......His mother, as portrayed in this this Book deserved better.

Can't image that The Sussex's thought the revelations in this Book are going to elevate them globally. Or entice People or Corporations to visit, watch or contribute to their Archewell Foundations.

How exactly did this Book improve or lend credibility to Harry as a champion of mental health ? Isn't that his supposed number one platform ?

Where does He go from here ?

No wonder Meghan's lying low, and NOT out there cheerleading " his truth" and "authenticity". She CERTAINLY recognizes it is a bad look NOW, but to be fair to Harry, I believe she was consulted, and a fully participating member as to what got into the Book.

These Two are all about control, compulsively so. And as She informed us before....." They are like salt and pepper and MOVE TOGETHER".

As I have posted before, this is where The Fairytale meets Reality for Them. They obsess about Media, so there is no way They haven't seen the negative reactions to The Book.
The Jimmy Kimmel skit must have really stung too.......

 

[Leopoldine]

Of course he did. He was warned before it happened or spared the tests, that’s all.

Indeed. Regarding the incident at the Suffolk-based Apache helicopter base, Harry was suddenly summoned to BP "on urgent business" by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a private secretary who served both him and William. This happened after the base went into lockdown for mandatory drug screening. His former Squadron Sergeant Major Mark Wilson is quoted as saying, "I couldn't believe Harry was allowed to leave."

 

[ppetrica]

There were wild predictions from tabloids in the run up to publication that Britons wouldn’t buy this book in any great numbers. Well, that’s been proven wrong!

Most people are buying the book out of curiosity, not because they are H&M fans like you are.
I happen to be a passionate buyer of novels, in the past 15 years or so I have bought over 2000 books. And yet, for more than half of those now that I read them I think they weren't worth the money nor my time.

 

[Lori138]

Harry is hardly going to say he's a drug addict is he? He's supposed to be involved in projects for mental health, he's supposed to be saying that he has now overcome his previous problems, so he's not going to admit that he was ever addicted. He might still be using drugs, for all we know. Aand from what I understand, he's been using Cocaine, and the cannabis that's going around now is a lot stronger than what was going around in the 60s and 70s, which was probalby relatively harmless -.

Was it not mentioned earlier in this forum that he uses cannabis daily still?

 

[Prinsara]

Was it not mentioned earlier in this forum that he uses cannabis daily still?

That was from a source that's no longer public, so we can't treat it as fact or part of a discussion.

 

[Lori138]

That was from a source that's no longer public, so we can't treat it as fact or part of a discussion.

Okay thanks for clarifying.

 

[Lilyflo]

I noticed something interesting re: Harry’s use of drugs and the conversation with his therapist about him not being addicted. She asks if he has used drugs and he says he has and tells her “some wild stories.”

But this doesn’t add up, does it? By Harry’s own telling, he used cocaine “a few times” when he was 17, well over a decade before and with minimal effects. Other than that, he describes one isolated incident of using mushrooms and marijuana use.

Harry describes more incidents than that of marijuana use. They weren't 'incidents' either but rather a lifestyle. When living alone at Nott Cott, he says he used to smoke a joint after dinner. He says he smoked "a shopping bag" full of weed after he'd had his date with Meghan. When they were at Tyler's house, Harry says he would smoke a joint late at night when everyone was asleep.

 

[HighGoalHighDreams]

Yes. I meant he describes one incident of mushroom use; and he also describes marijuana use. He describes habitual marijuana use from his teenage years to the present.

 

[caethi]

Yes. I meant he describes one incident of mushroom use; and he also describes marijuana use. He describes habitual marijuana use from his teenage years to the present.

While it may be troubling to think that Harry uses cannabis so regularly, I know several in my own circle of generally conservative-living acquaintances who also do so. One uses it for pain control, another uses it to control intrusive thoughts, another to manage another kind of mental health issue. In other words, it doesn't surprise me that someone who has struggled with trauma would use cannabis regularly. I don't say that I would recommend it, just that it is very common. On the other hand, use of cocaine and hallucinogenics is much less mainstream and would be very concerning.

 

[Curryong]

Absolutely. Although I’m old now I am of the 1960s generation that did smoke weed quite copiously. It’s regarded, rightly in my view, as a recreational drug and although not really to be recommended I’d say, from anecdotal evidence here in Australia (where it is illegal) it’s widely used, certainly not to be compared to the harder drugs. And several people of my acquaintance do smoke it for relaxation, and pain management. I’m certainly not shocked by its widespread use.

 

[Alison H]

Medical use of cannabis is actually legal in the UK, but only for certain conditions and when prescribed by a specialist doctor.

 

[TLLK]

It should be noted that Cannabis' potency is now stronger than in decades past.



https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/marijuana/weed-stronger-than-before/

According to recent polls, more than 35 million people in the US are regular users of the drug. As states continue legalizing Cannabis, its numbers of consumers are growing, and its strains are becoming stronger.