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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed at Prince Harry's memoir title SPARE

595 replies

benisright · 27/10/2022 13:25

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.

OP posts:
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7
whirlyhead · 27/10/2022 14:46

God all mighty who cares. Just ignore it all and carry on with your life. Are people just looking for things to get annoyed about nowadays??

antelopevalley · 27/10/2022 14:48

Choconut · 27/10/2022 14:33

Who would want to be the heir? Huge amount of pressure, stress, expectation and to have to constantly 'perform'.
Funny it never used to seem that Harry saw himself as some sort of 'spare' or victim, wonder where that idea has come from.
Selling books on what a victim he is while living in a mansion in Montecito worth 11 million just makes me want to punch him in the face, and I'm not a violent person.

Oh come on! William does not do that much. Turn up at a few places for some photos. It is far less pressure to perform than ordinary people in a job.

notanotheroneagain · 27/10/2022 14:48

The same people who have been snide about Harry as a 'spare' or '6th in line' area now moaning,

Now, I don't want to say that Harry is trolling back his trolls, but ......................

To be annoyed at Prince Harry's memoir title SPARE
To be annoyed at Prince Harry's memoir title SPARE
To be annoyed at Prince Harry's memoir title SPARE
RedHelenB · 27/10/2022 14:48

MzHz · 27/10/2022 13:55

Exactly. Apparently you’re only allowed to complain about your upbringing, have depression or mh issues if you’re poor.

i imagine his upbringing is a great source of pain and unhappiness. Is he acting out as a result, very probably, but the only reason he can’t do this in private like everyone else is that (a) he can’t have a particularly private life And (b) he’s had a lot of the support network and structure removed.
as did his mother. She was treated appallingly by the RF. the fallout after her death for those poor little boys must have been immense.

He’s been cut off pretty much so what choices does he have?

They weren't little boys.

Readinginthesun · 27/10/2022 14:50

Whataretheodds · 27/10/2022 13:28

It's a reference to the phrase 'Heir and spare' that royal brides are expected to produce. William is the Heir. Harry is the spare. So it makes sense as the title for his autobiography.

What's your issue with it?

Harry is no longer the spare - George is .

fierypepper · 27/10/2022 14:50

You say Harry should get a life, yet you've got annoyed about and started an entire thread about his autobiography 😂OP you need to get a life. I'm sure there's something more worthwhile you could be doing.

speakout · 27/10/2022 14:52

I have no feeling about the royal family either way, but it does seem strange that Harry is publishing a book when he and his wife are trying to stay out of the public eye.

antelopevalley · 27/10/2022 14:52

Readinginthesun · 27/10/2022 14:50

Harry is no longer the spare - George is .

George is not the spare, Charlotte and Louis are.

HauntedCabinet · 27/10/2022 14:52

$20 million was his advance for writing the book. I don't believe anybody has ever been paid $20 million for having a moan about their childhood on mumsnet. That's the difference.

TBF, for $20m I'd have a right old moan about mine Grin

Thesearmsofmine · 27/10/2022 14:52

Isaidnoalready · 27/10/2022 14:33

Surely you don't believe the utter drivel about daddy never took me on bike rides? Easily disproved nonsense

It's easier to be healthy and happy if your wealthy

It's easy to be miserable when your cold hungry and everything you want is "too expensive" where everyone is on holiday but you the world is your oyster as long as you have the Internet and can look at it

For privileged children getting that kind of misery you need to work on it im sorry your crown is heavy sorry you have to walk SO FAR through the Palace ahhh the servants didn't have your favourite macro vegan whatever this week oooh it must be mortally wounding when your horse doesn't win etc etc

Ok so you ARE naive enough to believe you can only have a bad upbringing if you are from poverty. Thanks for clearing it up for me.

jibbe · 27/10/2022 14:53

If he wants to highlight the anachronism that is the royal family, keep banging on Harry doing a great job for the anti royals

georgarina · 27/10/2022 14:53

Don't get me wrong, if he ever splits from Megan (which I'm fairly sure will happen at some point) I will feel really bad for him, as he'll be in a real spot then - not wanted anywhere.

I predict he will split from Meghan and his family will roll their eyes and accept him back, he just won't have any kind of official public life.

3peassuit · 27/10/2022 14:53

Maybe, for the sake of their mental health, we should abandon the idea of monarchy and a ruling family as it doesn’t seem to produce happy, rounded people.

goldfinchonthelawn · 27/10/2022 14:54

I am not a royalist. But despite his enormous priviledge it's not hard to see why he might have a lot of issues. Mocked in national newspapers that his father was not his father (photos of some man Di was friendly with - forget who - alongside pictures of him showing their resemblance. Hos father was having an open affair, his mother had MH problems, affairs and then died in horrific circumstances when he was very small. his stupid teen antics were plastered all over national papers and he still isn't allowed to forget them. His uncle is an alledged paedophile rapist His nickname was 'Spare'. Being rich doesn't entirely offset that shitstorm.

MrsScrubbingbrush · 27/10/2022 14:54

Just had an email from Waterstones offering the book at half price

verastan · 27/10/2022 14:55

It's an arresting title but does not seem to indicate that he has taken heed of the fact that most people think he is whining and wallowing in victimhood when he actually lives a life of extreme privilege.

I do wonder about whether W&K had 3 children to avoid the same heir and spare scenario- at least there are two spares who will have each other!

Giggorata · 27/10/2022 14:56

I think it's an excellent title, worthy of the Sun headline writers (for there are none better, whatever you think about the paper)

Spare is pretty much the normal title for second sons in certain circles and doesn't carry the rancour that some would think.
What a sharp point, too, about the double meaning, as in “going spare”.

it remains to be seen whether it will be an angry rant or a self pitying whine. I frankly don't care, as I will never read it.
I might hope he has had good advice, as in try and reflect on how you will feel reading this in twenty years time and exercise moderation.
But that wouldn't sell as well.

Dreamstate · 27/10/2022 14:57

Given that we never truly know the inner working of a royal family and all the outdated protocols etc. It would be a fairly interesting to read what it must be like being born and raised knowing your just a spare to the heir. Is it ever allowed to have just one child in a royal family where your in line for the throne? It doesn't seem like it. So is the 'spare' just born because of a protocol necessitating that there is a spare and not primarily because the family want a second child. That subtle nuance in having a second child isn't exactly what you would want to hear. Well mum n dad had me because they need a spare. Then to have to live with that growing up all your life.

All the money and privileges they have could never erase that though

Jennybeans401 · 27/10/2022 14:58

I'm fed up of Harry and Meghan too, yes I'm commenting on this thread because they are everywhere. When most people are struggling ti heat their homes and buy food this privileged pair are moaning about titles.

It's also disrespectful considering the Queen has only just died.

Popgoestheweaselagain · 27/10/2022 14:59

HauntedCabinet · 27/10/2022 14:52

$20 million was his advance for writing the book. I don't believe anybody has ever been paid $20 million for having a moan about their childhood on mumsnet. That's the difference.

TBF, for $20m I'd have a right old moan about mine Grin

😂

Trainfromredhill · 27/10/2022 15:00

MzHz · Today 13:55
Exactly. Apparently you’re only allowed to complain about your upbringing, have depression or mh issues if you’re poor.
i imagine his upbringing is a great source of pain and unhappiness. Is he acting out as a result, very probably, but the only reason he can’t do this in private like everyone else is that (a) he can’t have a particularly private life And (b) he’s had a lot of the support network and structure removed.
as did his mother. She was treated appallingly by the RF. the fallout after her death for those poor little boys must have been immense.
He’s been cut off pretty much so what choices does he have?

in choosing Meghan he cut himself off. Nobody drove them out of the country. If they’d wanted to step back and live a quiet life in the shires I’m confident that they would have been allowed to get on with it. But you can’t ask for privacy when actively seeking any publicity available.

my unbringing wasn’t perfect. I walked behind my dads coffin aged 12 (although obviously not in front of cameras).

a wise person once told my dad ‘your upbringing can explain a lot but excuse very little’. Harry is responsible for how he lives now. He can wallow or he can move forward. He seems to be revelling I the former.

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you choice. Harry has had plenty of choices. He can only blame himself for the ones he has made as an adult.

Pastryapronsucks · 27/10/2022 15:00

AnonyMouseToday · 27/10/2022 14:43

I'm so sick of Prince Harry.

Don't get me wrong, if he ever splits from Megan (which I'm fairly sure will happen at some point) I will feel really bad for him, as he'll be in a real spot then - not wanted anywhere. I also, obviously, feel v sad for him that he lost his mum at a young age and has been through troubles in his life.

However, he seems to forget that NEARLY EVERYONE has had troubles in their life. Trauma, loss, bullying whatever.

We all just get on with it. Harry has had the privilege of years and years of therapy (most people can't even get 12 sessions on the NHS), wealth to fall back on, few money worries. He has a lot going for him (millions in the bank, a wife, children, living in a country he chose to live in). He should stop moaning and just live his life. Preferably away from the public eye like he'd always claimed he wanted

I'd have so so much respect for him if he and Megan had disappeared, downsized and settled for a quiet life away from the cameras. He would still be the poster boy in the UK if he's done this would still be loved like he always was. However, constantly berrating your family in public to the world, being on the cover of every magazine, seems a bit hypocritical for the boy who supposedly hates the press and wanted privacy his whole life.

Totally agree. I was delighted when he married Meghan. I thought she would be a breath of fresh air in the RF. She could have been someone identifiable to the wider population. Sadly she turned out to be batshit (and I heard that from someone who has seen it with their own eyes).

Whilst I am cross with Harry for behaving so badly, I do fear what will happen when he and Meghan split up. Let's hope the book doesn't totally burn the bridges with his family.

PeekAtYou · 27/10/2022 15:00

Why are you annoyed? His family including his mother called him that.

Futuristik · 27/10/2022 15:01

Why are you so invested lol.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 27/10/2022 15:01

BlusteryLake · 27/10/2022 13:29

I fed up with Prince Harry in general. It's one thing to want to opt out of being a royal, but quite another to keep rocking the boat once you have your "private life" (for one seeking privacy he seems to go to great lengths to keep in the public eye)

Exactly.

I wish him and Meghan well but the endless complaining and victim stance is really tiresome.

They seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. Not a good look.

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