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

[Granada]

Lilyflo, well said.
I think though that Harry is past the point of "significant intervention". He has alienated him Family AND apparently his friends from childhood in the UK.

The only person he trusts or listens to is Meghan. Her will is his.
He simply doesn't care and reminds me of Nicholas 11.
As The Romanov Dynasty hurled towards Revolution, Nicholas's family BEGGED him to stop listening to his wife Alexandra and letting her make political decisions while he was away at the Front in WWl.

He refused. Couldn't see it was leading to disaster and well, we know what the result was. Her will was his too.

 

[Alison H]

He was educated at Eton, one of the top schools in the country. And yet he claims that he couldn't do any sort of job?

 

[Moran]

We have a phrase here - someone "works as a prince". Meaning the offspring of the owner of a big company who have formal education because optics, doesn't do much work but because they work in the family company, it creates the impression of a legacy and stability. Other people do the actual work.

Prince Harry couldn't even works as a prince?

 

[Mbruno]

He says he was unable to do other work as he never did anything for himself. That doesn't say much for all the skills he's supposed to have gained as an army officer or all the experiences he had from working with veterans and poverty-stricken orphans. He's created a fantasy existence in which he's the tragic figure trapped in a gilded cage but it's all in his head. Nobody is trapped if they want to build a life outside of the working BRF. He has cousins who do it and his late grandparents wished him well in his new life. His problems include that he's impulsive, reckless, arrogant and vengeful, which prevented him from working constructively with the family and advisors on a longer term withdrawal from his UK support system into an independent life. He's burnt his bridges with the UK now and is floundering in righteous anger while lashing out at the people who love him. He needs some significant intervention before he sinks so far down into his black hole of rage that he can't be reached.

He does have a point though that by being a working member of the Family, he was prevented from exploring other career options (the military being the only acceptable alternative for someone in his position). Other junior princes in other royal families (e.g. Prince Laurent of Belgium) have made similar claims in the past when complaining about their stipend being cut by the government. On the other hand, there are examples also of spares in Europe like Infanta Elena of Spain who ceased to be official members of the Royal Family and were cut off from Royal Household funding, but, as far as we know, never got any "compensation".

Broadly speaking, that is an issue that Royal Houses will have to address regarding spares. In Harry's case, I don't really blame the British Royal Household because , as only one of two sons of King Charles III, Harry was always expected to be a full-time royal for life, so a Plan B was never in he cards. But, for people like Harry's children or Joachim's children in Denmark, it is better to make it clear to them from birth that they won't be working royals, will not get public funding, and will have to have a career outside the RF.

 

[suztav]

I thought this book was supposed to be about "the man I became, not the prince I was born to be" ... this is just a lashing out about the prince he was born to be and the family into which he was born. What did I miss?

 

[Lilyflo]

He does have a point though that by being a working member of the Family, he was prevented from exploring other career options (the military being the only acceptable alternative for someone in his position).

Who prevented him? From a young age he wanted to be a soldier and so that's what he did. By the time he left the army, if he'd wanted to do something else he could have done that. Many doors would have opened for him and although his family would have wanted him in 'the firm', it's clear they love him enough to value his mental health and happiness.

We haven't seen the whole book yet but if he really wanted to carve out a different future for himself after the army, no doubt his efforts to do so will be in there but I suspect he didn't try very hard and just drifted along, taking in all the benefits of his luxurious life while stoking up his hatred of the press and his jealousy of William.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I think he singled brother "Willy" out for harshest treatment because he loves/loved William the most and feels most let down by his older brother. His anger at him vibrates off every page.

He had his late mother on the highest pedestal and has replaced his mother with his wife. It's very dangerous because what happens if (heaven forbid)Meghan is no longer around?

The entire foundation of Harry's fragile emotional health is gone too.

 

[Heavs]

Of course, Harry witnessed bullying and even was accused of doing it himself. I think by this time, the palace had already announced the investigation. Was Harry trying to get William and Charles to deny the allegations? Stop the investigation? Or had Harry convinced himself that the allegations weren't true, despite the fact that he must have witnessed it himself. I tend to think the latter, but that means that he is in denial - almost to the point of delusional. I hope he can find some piece.

Well he has admitted enjoying bullying a matron that "didn't make him/them horny" because she was disabled when he was a kid so......

He seems obsessed with the idea that "the palace" were either leaking everything or failing to file IPSO complaints about every single article. Meghan wearing ripped jeans to the Toronto Invcitus got comments yes, but they were mild and gone within a day. Her wearing a shirt called "husband" however got a lot more coverage. And all of these choices were her own.

 

[Sunnystar]

Well he has admitted enjoying bullying a matron that "didn't make him/them horny" because she was disabled when he was a kid so......

He seems obsessed with the idea that "the palace" were either leaking everything or failing to file IPSO complaints about every single article. Meghan wearing ripped jeans to the Toronto Invcitus got comments yes, but they were mild and gone within a day. Her wearing a shirt called "husband" however got a lot more coverage. And all of these choices were her own.

All these excerpts are doing, for me, is prove that Harry (and Meghan) don't want to be held accountable for any of their decisions/choices and they expected KP/BP to do everything within their power to keep the press friendly, even if that meant filing IPSO complaints for what, in reality, were minor things in an overall far bigger picture. They've made their bed, dug their grave, etc, now they can lay down on their sunny, Montecito sandy beach and deal with the consequences.

 

[Claire]

I'm being cynical here but sharing some of the freebies might well be meant as "hush money".

Personally, I've received a brand new laptop from a company I worked with. (Not for.) There were five of those and it was a hard choice distributing them between over 100 people working with them. But it was all documented as what it was - a token of reward for people who has worked smoothly with them for a long time. The bosses all approved each and every of us getting them.

I'd never accept freebies when I know my bosses have no business accepting them in the first place.

I think that the comment about Meghan making her own clothes - is possibly a misquote - Meghan could get free clothing. Hence no cost to Charles.
One of the points of conflict between Meghan and her staff was that people were sending freebies back. If it was a joint office and the Cambridge's said send back and the Sussex's said keep - I expect that there was going to be a problem eventually.

 

[FigTree]

I think that the comment about Meghan making her own clothes - is possibly a misquote - Meghan could get free clothing. Hence no cost to Charles.
One of the points of conflict between Meghan and her staff was that people were sending freebies back. If it was a joint office and the Cambridge's said send back and the Sussex's said keep - I expect that there was going to be a problem eventually.

They weren't allowed to keep them.

 

[Markle]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

 

[tihkon2]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

And if anyone of their relatives tells every single thing about them including how Meghan and Harry wipe their bottoms, or that Meghan bullies her staff or Harry does cocaine still, I'll probably feel the same way as you do.

 

[Heavs]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

Okay but what about the innocent and probably perfectly nice matron that he admits to bullying because she was older, disabled, couldn't get up the stairs easily and he "didn't make us horny?" He gave enough intensifying info that it would be easy to find out who she is. For someone who is so concerned about bullying and press intrusion, that is especially horrifying.

Not to mention his fellow service members who's lives he just made that much harder/dangerous by bragging that he allegedly killed 25 Taliban members.

Those things (and others) were punching downwards.

 

[Denville]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

A great relief for whom?
did his family and staff not protect him over and over again?

 

[Granada]

Fig Tree, but the problem is from the excerpts provided that Harry says they did KEEP the freebies sent to them. Meghan then supposedly distributed them to Staff.

But keeping them was a distinct violation of Protocol. Whatever or wherever they wound up. They were told that they could not accept things like jewelry, clothes, candles, ect.....it was all in Valentine Lows book and it infuriated Meghan.
And as Claire points out, it was a joint office. The Staff knew they weren't supposed to keep gifts, and The Sussex's are telling them to ignore Royal Protocol and forward the items to them.

Must have been a terrible situation for Staff, caught between a rock and a hard place.

And for poster Markle, I just want to point out that while it might "appear" that The Sussex's have a "cute little PERFECT family"..... who knows ?
I'm just reminded of the Tom Brady - Gisele Bundchen situation. For years they splashed " their love story" all over social media.
If you had EVER told me a year ago that their marriage would blow up and they would be quickly divorced, I'd NEVER have believed it.
But they did.......

 

[GraceOMalleysGhost]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

You have perfectly captured his narcissistic, self-centered attitude. Well done.

Let's not be bothered about all the people he's hurting, they're meaningless. Collateral damage on Harald's chessboard of life.

 

[FigTree]

Fig Tree, but the problem is from the excerpts provided that Harry says they did KEEP the freebies sent to them. Meghan then supposedly distributed them to Staff.

But keeping them was a distinct violation of Protocol. Whatever or wherever they wound up. They were told that they could not accept things like jewelry, clothes, candles, ect.....it was all in Valentine Lows book and it infuriated Meghan.
And as Claire points out, it was a joint office. The Staff knew they weren't supposed to keep gifts, and The Sussex's are telling them to ignore Royal Protocol and forward the items to them.

Must have been a terrible situation for Staff, caught between a rock and a hard place.

And for poster Markle, I just want to point out that while it might "appear" that The Sussex's have a "cute little PERFECT family"..... who knows ?
I'm just reminded of the Tom Brady - Gisele Bundchen situation. For years they splashed " their love story" all over social media.
If you had EVER told me a year ago that their marriage would blow up and they would be quickly divorced, I'd NEVER have believed it.
But they did.......

What do we know about anybody seriously. I've had the closed friends confide things that had been going on years and I had no idea. Never persume to know people you don't. Never persume to know people that you actually know. You know a side or perhaps many.

 

[moby]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

Especially if you get paid millions of dollars for it, right?! ?

 

[tommy100]

The Queen's former Press Secretary has said she never briefed against other members of the Royal Family, never had knowledge of it and that the late Queen would never have sanctioned it. Given this seems to be a central claim of Harry's I think it is worth noting.

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

Does anyone know when the interviews with ITV and with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes were filmed? I believe they are being shown tonight? Wonder if there will be any disclaimers from the interviewers like “since I’d not read the book, I couldn’t ask certain questions that I would have asked” (about this dumpster fire) .

His interview with Stephen Colbert is scheduled for Tuesday. I hope that Harry either cancels it or that Colbert interviews him privately- he’s done that before. If not, I can imagine Harry walking onto the stage and being booed by the audience. These are taped live around 5 pm or so in NYC then released later the same evening.

 

[Claire]

Yep - last I heard CNN was considering placing a final word - Anderson sums uppiece at the end or something. So they don't look like complete idiots - but it might not be allowed in the contract with Archewell. So both interviews might come off as irrelevant puff pieces.
I was really hoping for a live interview. oh well .

 

[SirGyamfi1]

To the person who compared the situation to Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, you are so correct and great minds think alike. The only difference (thank the heavens) is that Harry isn’t King or in any high leading position within the monarchy and isn’t the future of the monarchy.

 

[Muhler]

They have a cute little perfect family.

It feels good to be cathartic and lay all your cards on the table.

There's no need to protect anyone, especially one who inflicted physical violence against him.

Open up all the windows and air it all out. It's a great relief to do so.

Congratulations on your first posts.

I'm not sure I agree with you about the benefits of going public with family problems, certainly not to this extent.

And if you do, you'd better fact check every single claim you make, so you won't be caught with your pants down. And you'd better make sure you don't have skeletons left in your closet, because such a tactic goes both ways.
And finally if you must write a "Spare" do make sure it presents you in a much better light than those you claim are your nemesis.

I'm afraid that right now you will find Harry's pants down around his ankles but given his fondness of putting focus on his nether regions he may not find that too uncomfortable.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I think that the comment about Meghan making her own clothes - is possibly a misquote - Meghan could get free clothing. Hence no cost to Charles.
One of the points of conflict between Meghan and her staff was that people were sending freebies back. If it was a joint office and the Cambridge's said send back and the Sussex's said keep - I expect that there was going to be a problem eventually.

I think that Harry considered being sarcastic, although why he would include that in his memoirs is a bit unclear.

 

[Princess Merena]

Just saw on Twitter that he obviously has written less than nice words about Princess Margaret. Just why? Why go there?

 

[Alison H]

Does anyone know when the interviews with ITV and with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes were filmed? I believe they are being shown tonight? Wonder if there will be any disclaimers from the interviewers like “since I’d not read the book, I couldn’t ask certain questions that I would have asked” (about this dumpster fire) .

His interview with Stephen Colbert is scheduled for Tuesday. I hope that Harry either cancels it or that Colbert interviews him privately- he’s done that before. If not, I can imagine Harry walking onto the stage and being booed by the audience. These are taped live around 5 pm or so in NYC then released later the same evening.

The ITV interview is on at 9pm UK time, at the same time as a very popular programme over on the BBC. I'd assume it was filmed before the book was leaked in Spain, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[tommy100]

Yes it was filmed before the leaks so interesting to see how it plays now we know the vast majority of the content. I get the impression from the clips Harry is going to be challenged on bits of it at least, even if very softly softly by his mate Bradby. As a friend of mine said, it won't take a lot for him to make a fool of himself even without intense grilling.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

Does anyone know when the interviews with ITV and with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes were filmed? I believe they are being shown tonight? Wonder if there will be any disclaimers from the interviewers like “since I’d not read the book, I couldn’t ask certain questions that I would have asked” (about this dumpster fire) .

His interview with Stephen Colbert is scheduled for Tuesday. I hope that Harry either cancels it or that Colbert interviews him privately- he’s done that before. If not, I can imagine Harry walking onto the stage and being booed by the audience. These are taped live around 5 pm or so in NYC then released later the same evening.

It would be journalistic malpractice for Anderson Cooper to interview him about the book without first reading it. I'm assuming that the interviews are more general rather than focused on the book.

I don't see an American audience booing him. It's a comedy show and Colbert will probably tread lightly. Jimmy Kimmel is posting jabs at Harry, and i suspect that the other late night hosts and Comedy Central will start doing so soon

 

[Claire]

Just saw on Twitter that he obviously has written less than nice words about Princess Margaret. Just why? Why go there?

I am beginning to wonder if Harry was asked to provide nothing but random bunch of childhood memories that are meant to improve his lad cheeky persona. I am told that this book was to remind people that he was the cheeky relatable royal that was the most popular. I always thought that the media was way to leant on him in his 20's. And now I am wondering if Harry doesn't understand why the media loved him for this stuff, then and now hate it for it.