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AIBU?

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Original poster

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
LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 15:56

Wheresthebeach · 27/10/2022 15:52

I struggle with the endless self pity from a pair of incredibly rich, privileged individuals. Heir and a spare is a pretty common saying in their circles, and its a shame that he's coming across as so bitter. Its not personal, it's a fact of his position in the line of succession and by now, you'd think he'd had the time and maturity to see it that way. You don't see Anne complaining, or writing books about it. She just got on with doing the work she valued. After all, he's insanely rich due to it. If it's so awful, he should renounce his place in the line of succession, renounce his titles, refuse titles for his children (like Anne) and get a job (or not...as the millions he's got are enough to live off of in luxury).

Having said that - I think its a great photo of him, and a striking book cover.

Anne isn’t the Spare though, and hasn’t been since Andrew was born.

Look how well that turned out.

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 15:56

In fact I’m not sure Anne was ever the Spare, as long as Margaret had a boy? Can someone more knowledgable about this clarify?

SapphosRock · 27/10/2022 15:56

YABU. It's a great title.

I read it a humorous and self-deprecating rather than self-pitying.

medianewbie · 27/10/2022 15:57

itsgettingweird · 27/10/2022 13:34

But in royal protocol of the time that's what he was.

The spare to the heir.

That will have a massive impact on someone.

You only have to read threads on here from people who's lives have been negatively impacted by a sibling being the golden child.

Agreed.
And IF he was a user called that as a 'family nickname' I can see why he'd use it as a book title.

Coucous · 27/10/2022 15:59

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.

Why don't you apply the same advice to yourself OP? To be annoyed by something as innocuous as a book title . . .
You clearly do not like them so just move along. I can't imagine seeing an article about someone I don't like and running to a forum to write about how annoyed they are doing XYZ and they should get a life. It would seem I would need to get a life myself.

Coucous · 27/10/2022 16:00

SapphosRock · 27/10/2022 15:56

YABU. It's a great title.

I read it a humorous and self-deprecating rather than self-pitying.

This is exactly how I read it too!

Wheresthebeach · 27/10/2022 16:00

Anne was the second born, and at the time, as a girl was thrown out of the line once Andrew came along. Strikes me she has a lot more to complain about.

Fundays12 · 27/10/2022 16:00

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 15:54

It’s a 50% off offer apparently. I would spend £14 on a book I really wanted to read immediately TBF

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Ahh right so full price is £28. I would spend that to but a lot of people won't or can't. I definitely wouldn't spend £28 though.

BonnesVacances · 27/10/2022 16:01

Tbf whether you think of him as a spare or not has no bearing whatsoever on how he feels about it. I should imagine it came up all the time while he was growing up and Wills was being prepared for the throne and responsibilities and PH had to find his own path. He's not the first spare to have lost his way. It happened to Margaret too which suggests it must be extremely damaging to be brought up in that kind of environment.

LaMarschallin · 27/10/2022 16:02

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 15:56

In fact I’m not sure Anne was ever the Spare, as long as Margaret had a boy? Can someone more knowledgable about this clarify?

I think the order after Queen Elizabeth would have been Charles, Andrew, Edward, Anne, Margaret, Margaret's son (David?)...
But I'm not 100% sure.

Coucous · 27/10/2022 16:02

@LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet I will look at waterstones. I want to pre-order one now.

Lopilo · 27/10/2022 16:04

It is excellent marketing but it makes him seem even more pathetic. I do sense that he is surrounded by people willing to take advantage of him in order to make money. I hope he realises what he is doing but if he did, surely he would value his reputation more highly.

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 16:04

Wheresthebeach · 27/10/2022 16:00

Anne was the second born, and at the time, as a girl was thrown out of the line once Andrew came along. Strikes me she has a lot more to complain about.

Theoretically: if HMQ had no more children after Anne, & Margaret still had Sarah and David and Charles died in infancy - would Anne be Queen or would it have gone to David (Margaret’s son)?

MarvelMrs · 27/10/2022 16:06

It makes it seem like he thinks the whole phrase ‘hier and spare’ was made about him and of course it wasn’t.
If he wants a quiet private family life he needs to stop seeking publicity surely. I don’t understand what Harry and Meghan are seeking.

x2boys · 27/10/2022 16:08

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 16:04

Theoretically: if HMQ had no more children after Anne, & Margaret still had Sarah and David and Charles died in infancy - would Anne be Queen or would it have gone to David (Margaret’s son)?

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Anne woukd have been Queen ,once The Queen married and started her own line of succession it would have stayed with her kids .

MaulPerton · 27/10/2022 16:08

One of the more interesting things about this announcement is the timing of the book release - just after the Christmas book-buying frenzy. Is there too much competition pre-Christmas or is there some other clever marketing ploy for the early January release date?

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 27/10/2022 16:10

MaulPerton · 27/10/2022 16:08

One of the more interesting things about this announcement is the timing of the book release - just after the Christmas book-buying frenzy. Is there too much competition pre-Christmas or is there some other clever marketing ploy for the early January release date?

Season 5 of the crown will have finished. This season focussed heavily on Diana and the end of her life. That’s the reason I think

prh47bridge · 27/10/2022 16:12

LaMarschallin · 27/10/2022 16:02

I think the order after Queen Elizabeth would have been Charles, Andrew, Edward, Anne, Margaret, Margaret's son (David?)...
But I'm not 100% sure.

Show quote history

If Charles, Andrew, Edward and Anne were all childless, that would be correct. Anne came after the Queen's sons but before any other relatives. Anne is currently 16th in line to the throne, after her brothers and their children. She was the Spare when she was born as she was the Queen's second child and was therefore second in line to the throne, but she lost that status when Andrew was born.

Of course, the rules have changed. If Anne had been born after the current rules came into force, she would have remained second in line until William was born.

WifeMotherWorker · 27/10/2022 16:13

Harry has had a life of extreme privilege but is perpetually moaning, complaining and scheming. He just comes across as selfish, quite thick, tone deaf to normal people se struggles and a self centred victim of his own greed and ill-judged decisions!! Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Not a book I will be reading.

potniatheron · 27/10/2022 16:13

I think it's a clever and witty title with layers of meaning, and also self-deprecating.

It's clever, which means he definitely didn't come up with it himself.

CustardySergeant · 27/10/2022 16:15

Worriedddd · 27/10/2022 14:13

Wow he sounds very bitter and photoshopped.

How is it possible to sound photoshopped?

bigblueyonder · 27/10/2022 16:16

Princess Margaret, on hearing her sister was to be Queen, said 'poor you' to her. Clearly not envious of the life of duty and constant waving which awaited. She knew she could enjoy a privileged lifestyle without the ties ...

Unseelie · 27/10/2022 16:19

Yabu, everyone called him the spare.

peaceandove · 27/10/2022 16:19

Harry & Meghan will be divorced within 5 years. Meghan will pursue a very high profile career in politics (Secretary of State Markle, anyone? Anyone?) based very much on her ex-royalness. Harry will slink home and live out the rest of a wasted life in the Shires, drinking too much and riddled with self pity.

Watchkeys · 27/10/2022 16:22

OriginalUsername3 · 27/10/2022 13:46

But that's what he was and even what his family called him. An heir and a spare. I reckon he had a pretty shit upbringing tbh, I think people would feel differently about him if his family weren't weren't rich. Travelling and having expensive things doesn't make up for being the back sheep and losing your mum, who your dads family hated.

Agreed. Otherwise the 'Stately Homes' threads wouldn't exist. People seem to think that money and a lush upbringing should result in gratitude and happiness. It doesn't work like that.

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