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

[HighGoalHighDreams]

We got a bit sidetracked with grammatical unclarity in my post, but what the longer post said- and what I think commentators likely agree- is that there are many indications in Spare that Harry’s drug use history(and I am not implying his present use) is substantially more robust than he admits to.

He admits to 1. continuous use of marijuana up to the present 2. a handful of cocaine use age at the of 17 and 3. a single use of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

But the book itself is full of hints that the truth runs deeper than this and I would submit that this is part of the 400 plus pages that got edited out. Others may disagree.

 

[Prinsara]

It likely doesn't matter what else Harry could be taking. A long, heavy, and seemingly continuous use of cannabis when it's completely contraindicated even where legal given his own and familial mental health history... that's enough, probably.

And the odds and evidence are high that it's been more harmful than helpful.

I still want to know who was signing off on pulling him out of every "random" test, and I imagine I'm not alone.

 

[duchessrachel]

The bit about Princess Margaret giving him a pen with a fish on it one Christmas and him thinking it was a cheap and stupid gift really grated on me. She was a great aunt, and he was in school at the time. He had everything he could need in terms of clothes and games and toys plus his parents and grandparents were getting him things of that nature. She probably thought “oh this is fun and silly and he can use it at school” and he thought she was being cheap and mean and he’s still making fun of it even though he’s nearly 40.

I thought it was a weird anecdote at first but it gets really weird because the phrase “oh, a Biro. Wow.” gets repeated throughout the book.

It is crazy for Harry to go on and on about that gift. I have read that the Royal Family give joke gifts to each other. This had to be a joke gift, I am thinking.

 

[Queen Claude]

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.

The "wild stories" could have come from alcohol use. Although based on other things stated and implied, I think that Harry is a frequent marijuana user.

 

[Asteria12]

It is crazy for Harry to go on and on about that gift. I have read that the Royal Family give joke gifts to each other. Once, Harry gave Queen Elizabeth a shower cap that said "Ain;t life a b ----" This had to be a joke gift, I am thinking.

I think this is what confuses many people, because Harry doesn't explain this well-known tradition of his family in his book. He doesn't say, for instance, "in my family we give each other joke gifts at Christmas, and one year my Great Aunt M gave me a biro with a little fish wrapped around it" and continues with his story. If he is telling this story in order to be humorous, and re-uses the phrase “oh, a Biro. Wow.” for continuation, then the context sort of works but is very, very clumsy. I am surprised that his ghost writer didn't try to tidy that up, but of course, we don't know how much control Moehringer had.

 

[Leopoldine]

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.

IMHO The most unusual thing about the book is the "stream of consciousness" narrative style. It's hard to tell what is an actual quote of his when he recalls conversations with others, and what was just a thought at the time.

He left out things that have been hinted at elsewhere, like their dealings with Royal Collection Trust staff members in furnishing Frogmore Cottage. I've always wondered how that works, and if rank dictates what you can use in your Crown-owned home. I've read in Sasha Swire's memoir that Andrew and the then PoW were handbags at dawn over a piano.

Regarding the use of Royal Collection items, Harry's rank I would think would entitle him to use collection items in his home. Furniture, tableware, lighting, rugs ... and there's nothing about this in the book. That would have been interesting to me, and I suspect other forum members as well. It would be more interesting than the penis talk.

 

[Prinsara]

Regarding the use of Royal Collection items, Harry's rank I would think would entitle him to use collection items in his home. Furniture, tableware, lighting, rugs ... and there's nothing about this in the book. That would have been interesting to me, and I suspect other forum members as well. It would be more interesting than the penis talk.

But that wouldn't sell the narrative that he and Meg were hard-done by while Willy and Kate lived in luxury, would it.

 

[yukari]

(...)

He left out things that have been hinted at elsewhere, like their dealings with Royal Collection Trust staff members in furnishing Frogmore Cottage. I've always wondered how that works, and if rank dictates what you can use in your Crown-owned home. I've read in Sasha Swire's memoir that Andrew and the then PoW were handbags at dawn over a piano.

(...)

Or maybe it's left out simply because he doesn't know (or couldn't careless trying to know). I mean, he didn't know that he needed to get the Queen's permission to marry. All those stuff about Royal Collection Trust seems too complicated for him.

 

[Curryong]

Or, the couple may not have been allowed artworks, furniture etc for Frogmore Cottage from the Royal Collection. All I remember reading about as far as the interior design of FC were wails from the tabloids about how expensive it was all going to be, and rubbish from the same sources about gold taps and copper baths and yoga rooms, which turned out to be untrue, unsurprisingly, and articles in certain magazines that intimated that the furniture and furnishings were all modern.

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

IMHO The most unusual thing about the book is the "stream of consciousness" narrative style. It's hard to tell what is an actual quote of his when he recalls conversations with others, and what was just a thought at the time.

He left out things that have been hinted at elsewhere, like their dealings with Royal Collection Trust staff members in furnishing Frogmore Cottage. I've always wondered how that works, and if rank dictates what you can use in your Crown-owned home. I've read in Sasha Swire's memoir that Andrew and the then PoW were handbags at dawn over a piano.

Regarding the use of Royal Collection items, Harry's rank I would think would entitle him to use collection items in his home. Furniture, tableware, lighting, rugs ... and there's nothing about this in the book. That would have been interesting to me, and I suspect other forum members as well. It would be more interesting than the penis talk.

Anything would be more interesting than the penis talk!

 

[TLLK]

IMHO The most unusual thing about the book is the "stream of consciousness" narrative style. It's hard to tell what is an actual quote of his when he recalls conversations with others, and what was just a thought at the time.

He left out things that have been hinted at elsewhere, like their dealings with Royal Collection Trust staff members in furnishing Frogmore Cottage. I've always wondered how that works, and if rank dictates what you can use in your Crown-owned home. I've read in Sasha Swire's memoir that Andrew and the then PoW were handbags at dawn over a piano.

Regarding the use of Royal Collection items, Harry's rank I would think would entitle him to use collection items in his home. Furniture, tableware, lighting, rugs ... and there's nothing about this in the book. That would have been interesting to me, and I suspect other forum members as well. It would be more interesting than the penis talk.

That seems reasonable that the Sussexes would have had access to the items in the Royal Collection. Granted that means that means they would have to "shop" from the items in the warehouses. Now if it wasn't to their taste then they would need to find furniture etc..elsewhere.

 

[Leopoldine]

Or, the couple may not have been allowed artworks, furniture etc for Frogmore Cottage from the Royal Collection. All I remember reading about as far as the interior design of FC were wails from the tabloids about how expensive it was all going to be, and rubbish from the same sources about gold taps and copper baths and yoga rooms, which turned out to be untrue, unsurprisingly, and articles in certain magazines that intimated that the furniture and furnishings were all modern.

All of that talk of yoga rooms and expensive bathtubs was silly conjecture.

I did read though that a Royal Collection staffer met with them regarding Frogmore Cottage and its furnishings and such. It was a neutral mention in some newspaper, just that they met, finit.

 

[Sunnystar]

Or, the couple may not have been allowed artworks, furniture etc for Frogmore Cottage from the Royal Collection. All I remember reading about as far as the interior design of FC were wails from the tabloids about how expensive it was all going to be, and rubbish from the same sources about gold taps and copper baths and yoga rooms, which turned out to be untrue, unsurprisingly, and articles in certain magazines that intimated that the furniture and furnishings were all modern.

Or perhaps they didn't WANT anything from the Royal Collection because it wasn't to their personal taste, which is equally plausible. It isn't as though we see many photos of most royal residences, aside from the public reception rooms. It isn't as if most royals, even the 2nd, 3rd or 4th children of the monarch, are hosting events at their personal residence, so they could decorate it however they like and, unless they offered themselves up for a photo spread/feature article like the Wessexes did last year, why would any of us have any expectation of seeing any interior photos of Frogmore Cottage or any other Sussex residence?

 

[Leopoldine]

Frogmore Cottage is a big-enough home that help with furnishings would be welcome. Bureaus, bed frames, mirrors, table lamps, carpets, fabric from the Crown workshops .... there must have been something acceptable. My point is that this sort of thing is interesting and Harry blabbing in his book about smoking weed and ... other indiscretions is less interesting than good old Royal Collection information.

 

[EllieCat]

I couldn't stop myself today; in a bookshop in Invercargill (bottom of New Zealand), about 20 books for sale, so I peeked inside to see the photos (ignoring any text) – but there were only a couple of black and white photos, and not very interesting ones at that.

 

[Denville]

It likely doesn't matter what else Harry could be taking. A long, heavy, and seemingly continuous use of cannabis when it's completely contraindicated even where legal given his own and familial mental health history... that's enough, probably.

And the odds and evidence are high that it's been more harmful than helpful.

I still want to know who was signing off on pulling him out of every "random" test, and I imagine I'm not alone.

Agree. I don't know how he got away with it esp. if he was on active service. Im starting to wonder if he ever was on active service. I can see the army turning blind eye to smoking weed in a soldier who did it sometimes and was not serving in the field, but not when on combat duty. yet it sounds as if Harry was using not only weed but other stronger drugs, he was drinking which can be worse than many illegal drugs and honestly it is starting to look that continued drug use and heavy drinking has affected his brain and ability to think. I cant believe that the army let him get to that stage. Perhaps that's one of hte major reasons why he quit?

 

[Denville]

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.

I think that yes most people are buying it out of curiosity, but I think that also a lot of fans or curious people have been dumbfounded by what it has revealed.

 

[Denville]

Or, the couple may not have been allowed artworks, furniture etc for Frogmore Cottage from the Royal Collection. All I remember reading about as far as the interior design of FC were wails from the tabloids about how expensive it was all going to be, and rubbish from the same sources about gold taps and copper baths and yoga rooms, which turned out to be untrue, unsurprisingly, and articles in certain magazines that intimated that the furniture and furnishings were all modern.

Why would they not be allowed artworks etc? Harry is the second son of hte POW at the time.

 

[Curryong]

Agree. I don't know how he got away with it esp. if he was on active service. Im starting to wonder if he ever was on active service. I can see the army turning blind eye to smoking weed in a soldier who did it sometimes and was not serving in the field, but not when on combat duty. yet it sounds as if Harry was using not only weed but other stronger drugs, he was drinking which can be worse than many illegal drugs and honestly it is starting to look that continued drug use and heavy drinking has affected his brain and ability to think. I cant believe that the army let him get to that stage. Perhaps that's one of hte major reasons why he quit?

Well Harry certainly wasn’t drinking in Afghanistan. Alcohol was strictly banned for British troops in the country.

From BBC news 2013

In time-honoured fashion, the soldiers at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan woke early on Christmas Day with senior officers in Christmas regalia serving them tea or 'Gunfire'.
If the dress code was rather extravagant, the brew was decidedly tame. The traditional tot of rum was substituted by something less potent. This is after all is an Islamic country and alcohol for British soldiers is strictly banned.
This is the last Christmas for British troops in Afghanistan before combat operations cease at the end of next year, and it had a decidedly festive feel.
Task Force Helmand is now under the command of the 7th Armoured Brigade, also known as the Desert Rats. Fittingly, their mascot - a huge metal installation of a rat that occupies a prominent spot in a parade ground opposite the canteen - was adorned with tinsel and all the other trappings of Christmas.

Nor do I believe that Harry was or is a drug addict, as you seem to suggest. Camp Bastion had regular drug tests for its troops and fly crew, nowhere to go to evade it, and there is no way Harry would be allowed to fly in a very expensive piece of military equipment while stoned.

 

[Denville]

Well Harry certainly wasn’t drinking in Afghanistan. Alcohol was strictly banned for British troops in the country.

F Christmas.

YOu really must be joking. Hary was able to evade the rules and tests to stop him using illegal drugs, Im sure if he wanted to drink in Afghanistan he would find a way to do so.

 

[Ghost]

The answer to the blind eye for his drug use and drinking is in the book:
“Colonel, I need to find a way of getting back onto operations, or else I’m going to have to quit the Army.
I’m not certain Colonel Ed believed my threat. I’m not certain I did. Still, politically, diplomatically, strategically, he couldn’t afford to discount it. A prince in the ranks was a big public-relations asset, a powerful recruiting tool. He couldn’t ignore the fact that, if I bolted, his superiors might blame him, and their superiors too, and up the chain it might go.”

He knew exactly his worth for the armed forces.

 

[Denville]

The answer to the blind eye for his drug use and drinking is in the book:
“Colonel, I need to find a way of getting back onto operations, or else I’m going to have to quit the Army.
I’m not certain Colonel Ed believed my threat. I’m not certain I did. Still, politically, diplomatically, strategically, he couldn’t afford to discount it. A prince in the ranks was a big public-relations asset, a powerful recruiting tool. He couldn’t ignore the fact that, if I bolted, his superiors might blame him, and their superiors too, and up the chain it might go.”

He knew exactly his worth for the armed forces.

what a charmer he is. How anyone could think any more that he's good natured jolly not very bright but good hearted Harry, is inexplicable. That threat is just outright nasty. However, i still find it hard to believe that the army would allow him to use drugs when on active service in the field, that would be taking favouritism to an unacceptable level and endagering the lives of other soldiers. So Im starting to wonder if he ever did do combat duty....

 

[Claire]

I have found that the best sellers lists have not been very accurate for a while now - and there are many articles about publishing houses smudging of figures to understand why.
I use the Torrentfreak which shows illegal downloads to determine what to best to read and watch on TV. My thinking is that this is mostly done via word-of-mouth recommendations and if people are willing to steal it - then it must be worth the time and effort. It is also a way to see what is popular and trending. at least with the people that are willing to do it.
In case you are wondering - Spare is not on the top 30 of the list. Neither was the Netflix documentary. Both are way down in the 100 somewhere.
So you have to ask - if people taking it for free are not interested, hmm.

 

[Denville]

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.

Is this when they were living in LA before they bought a house? Seems odd, I thought that his narrative was htat he had been a drug abuser for a long time but had given it up on achieving a happy marriage.So is he now saying that he was still smoking a lot of weed, when his life was presumably fairly settled

 

[Lilyflo]

Is this when they were living in LA before they bought a house? Seems odd, I thought that his narrative was htat he had been a drug abuser for a long time but had given it up on achieving a happy marriage.So is he now saying that he was still smoking a lot of weed, when his life was presumably fairly settled

Yes, this was in 2020 when they were at Tyler Perry's house in LA.

 

[Denville]

well well well, I think we can take it then that hes still using drugs, probably quite a bit, and that may account for the incoherent tone of his book

 

[Mirabel]

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.

Yes, and he did seem to feel some guilt about, as he put it, "wasting an Eton education" because of smoking weed so much.

Not guilty enough to stop, though.

 

[Denville]

Yes, and he did seem to feel some guilt about, as he put it, "wasting an Eton education" because of smoking weed so much.

Not guilty enough to stop, though.

well as far as I can see, he didnt much enjoy the Eton education, and if he hadn't been a Prince, I think he would have had trouble getting through his exams enough to get on in the army.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Someone asked if anyone else had damaged their reputation by writing a book and giving interviews like Harry; I just thought I'd Latoya Jackson. She is Michael Jackson's sister and talked and spread so many lies about the Jackson Family. She made a lot of money, sold a lot of issues, stories, and books, but damaged her reputation royally.

 

[Hallo girl]

Well Harry certainly wasn’t drinking in Afghanistan. Alcohol was strictly banned for British troops in the country.

From BBC news 2013

In time-honoured fashion, the soldiers at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan woke early on Christmas Day with senior officers in Christmas regalia serving them tea or 'Gunfire'.
If the dress code was rather extravagant, the brew was decidedly tame. The traditional tot of rum was substituted by something less potent. This is after all is an Islamic country and alcohol for British soldiers is strictly banned.
This is the last Christmas for British troops in Afghanistan before combat operations cease at the end of next year, and it had a decidedly festive feel.
Task Force Helmand is now under the command of the 7th Armoured Brigade, also known as the Desert Rats. Fittingly, their mascot - a huge metal installation of a rat that occupies a prominent spot in a parade ground opposite the canteen - was adorned with tinsel and all the other trappings of Christmas.

Nor do I believe that Harry was or is a drug addict, as you seem to suggest. Camp Bastion had regular drug tests for its troops and fly crew, nowhere to go to evade it, and there is no way Harry would be allowed to fly in a very expensive piece of military equipment while stoned.

There was alcohol on that base I can assure you, it maybe wasn't supplied
by the authorities but there was alcohol on there. I know that for a fact.