To be annoyed at Prince Harry's memoir title SPARE

[benisright]

I have zero interest in this couple who seem to enjoy making a living on moaning about how they are poorly treated in Britain. Just saw the headline news and the cover of Harry's memoir with his face and one single word SPARE.

Get a life for goodness sake. I'm about his age and never once thought of him as a spare. He kinda invented his own tale.

How do people cope, then, whose siblings are immensely talented and they themselves are not earning seven figure salaries? He should have been grateful that his brother was prepared to be dutiful, to keep the monarchy going, so he himself can bask in the reflected love and good will - and money.

That was the failure of the interview - she challenged nothing, even stuff that she must have known were lies.

We run a successful family business that will pass to my eldest son. We jokingly refer to my younger son as the spare in case the eldest unexpectedly dies. AIBU to think this will have no impact on the youngest as an adult?

He certainly didn't think of his Scottish audience when he chose that title!

Calling someone a "spare" here means pretty much the same as "idiot"

I live in Scotland and it does not mean that where I live.

Well, he has always been trapped in a gilded cage. Not a life I would envy. It’s hugely preferable to be comfortably well off but able to move through the world anonymously. Nobody is interested in him as anything other than a Royal or ex-Royal, so he is sort of obliged to make money out of that somehow, or to rapidly spend all his money and end up back in the position of being totally reliant on the protection and wealth of others. He’s unlikely ever to be able to get a “normal” job, because someone will find out the ex-Royal is working in the army again, or in Aldi (😉), and either kidnap him or sell the story to the media. Plus, it’s a bit difficult not to end up screwed up after the childhood he had. I wouldn’t appreciate my family’s genuine tragedies and dirty washing, and all my family’s ancestors’ dirty washing, being put on display for discussion by the entire world. It’s not as if mere mortals don’t end up suicidal when they find themselves in the national or global spotlight, even when they have courted it. Normally, courting it is a sign of poor mental health in the first place…

Being wealthy enough to piss your life away partying, taking drugs, sleeping around, or whatever else huge wealth can make possible, doesn’t seem to make anyone happy. Using great wealth and power to support or set up pet projects generally also results in negative attention and accusations of abuse of power, unwarranted interference in politics, being out of touch, doing more harm than good, etc.

So, whilst I would never bother to read his book, I think those who are critical of someone with all his advantages growing up so screwed up are being wilfully blind to the effects of so much dysfunctionality on someone’s mental health. It may not be all his family’s fault and he may be unfairly angry at people just as damaged by their environment as he is, but I really do not envy him his life or wealth, or his need to keep airing his dirty washing in public to sustain a lifestyle that doesn’t even make him happy, but from which there is no true escape.

That’s me moving then.

It does sound quite interesting.

Penguin Random House said the memoir would take readers “immediately back to one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow – and horror”.

The book promises “raw, unflinching honesty” that is “full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief”.

The book is number 1 on Amazon and it was only put on there yesterday and isn't out until January. So plenty of people are interested even if many aren't.

“full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief”.

Although recollections may, of course, vary.

I’m not sure there will be many examples of hard won wisdom. Releasing this book may be cathartic for him. I wouldn’t call it wise.

I do wonder if it will bring him the peace he needs or damage relationships for ever more.

It is not a surprise to see that folk are interested in the book. He may be fooling himself if he thinks that folk will be more interested in his story of triumph.

I suspect the majority will be looking for the shite thrown.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11363005/Royals-dreading-Harry-book-Princes-416-page-memoir-critical-everything.html

Look at the before and after pictures in this article. Or just Google old and new pics yourself, they are not difficult to find. Lots of scowling miserable later ones, lots of smiling, happy earlier ones. The difference is quite remarkable.

As Harry and his wife have no concept of truth i would take everything he says in the book with a very large pinch of salt.

That's interesting because the news were reporting it was £28 a book which seemed very expensive. I think £14 is still a lot though for many people.

That'll be the official rep. Most large booksellers however will be selling it at up to half that price. Places like WHSmiths, Waterstones, Amazon etc always do this with pretty much every handbook autobiography type book in my experience. I don't think I've ever paid much more than half price for any brand new autobiography. Sometimes even cheaper for kindle format too.

If people want to buy it they will. I do not see why anyone else cares.

I wonder who suggested it, and whether it occurred to Harry to consider alternative definitions of spare...

First few results from a Google search include:

'not taken up by one's usual activities or duties; available for leisure'
'not currently in use or occupied'
'elegantly simple'

Could this be some excellent trolling on the part of PRH? Either way it's a masterstroke of a title.

I really think those that think this book won't sell are deluding themselves, or maybe wishful thinking g.

It's been available to purchase for a day, as a pre sale. It's already the top of Amazon's best seller list in the UK and in the US.

It's not something I'm particularly likely to by but I can see that it's likely to sell plenty very quickly.

@abra I agree. And all those complaining about the book are giving it loads of free publicity.

Without a doubt it will sell. Personally I will read the extracts, but not buy the book.

You could get it out of the library if you don't want to spend money on it.

@EsmaCannonball It's not about a glass half full or half empty It's about using a smaller glass.

Harry seemed to be a smiling, happy young man who was a part not only of his brother's family but part of his cousins' as well. Now he's living in a foreign country, having given up the patronages he loved, isolated from his friends and country. He's committed himself to earning his own living and has entered into contracts to write about his life. I find it extremely sad for him that he's got two young children and they don't have the opportunity to see their 3 cousins and other 7 great grandchildren of the Queen. Since their marriage his wife is living an extravagant lifestyle far beyond that she was able to earn for herself and I can't see that they'll be able to sustain that long-term. As his parents separated It's not something Harry will want for his own dc's.

Got to agree.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/28/spare-prince-harry-memoir-sussexes?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Somewhere in the mid-90s I ended up in A&E in cirencester. The Dr was brilliant and said something about how I was just like Prince Harry when he'd been brought in with a break. I wasn't the heir, I was the spare. Apparently when Harry was taken they said, "don't worry, it isn't the heir. It's the spare."

I dislike Harry and Meghan, however, I can imagine being called the spare all your life would be grating...

What an incredibly odd thing to be upset about.

It probably is a better life, objectively, not having to be monarch. And yes, of course there is still immense privilege.

Still, I can see why spending your life being called the "spare" and being considered of lesser national importance would get to you, especially if there are no other siblings to share your "spare" status. I like to think I'd never feel even slightly off seeing all the crowns and state events and Parliament openings and Your Majestys and knowing it's all coming for my brother and not for me because I'm "spare", but I don't think I'd be entirely unaffected.

Let's not forget all the baseless speculation about his paternity as well.

If being royal is so great, why don't they all seem happier?