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The royal family

SPARE - Harry’s book release announced

630 replies

Rinoachicken · 27/10/2022 11:34

So he’s called it ‘Spare’ and it’s being released on 23rd Jan.

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PoseyFlump · 27/10/2022 12:43

I believe the actual story ( and this has been.confirmed by royal commentators) is that William and Harry were adamant that they would do it, but the family thought it would be too much.

So a twelve year old boy came up with that idea all by himself? Bullshit. It's easy to manipulate children into believing something is their idea. More like back pedalling after public outcry (again)

lunar1 · 27/10/2022 12:43

It must refer to all the spare money he's going to have after it's published. Wasn't it a $20 million advance?

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 27/10/2022 12:43

donttellmehesalive · 27/10/2022 12:40

I thought they wanted to distance themselves from the RF and live quieter lives in California away from scrutiny. So why do they keep popping up every time the dust settles. I thought he was a knob when he dressed as a Nazi and I haven't seen anything yet to change my mind. Tiresome chasing of relevancy and cash.

Can only make money by moaning. No other useful skills

Ladytreacle · 27/10/2022 12:43

JackiePeralta · 27/10/2022 12:31

Charities will definitely NOT benefit. Harry has offered them royalties only (ie not the large advance he has taken). In order to be any royalties at all, the advance has to be recouped in full from royalties earned. The book will have to pretty much outsell the bible and Koran together for that to happen. PRH make profits and earn market share from the book long before royalties are due. Even on one of the most generous royalty rates available, the book will Need to sell more than 28m copies. For reference, Michelle Obama’s book (one of the best selling boots ever) has sold about 17m copies. Book royalties are really, really poor with reductions and deductions for eg breathing. All the pre publication legal work will also be on Harry’s tab (probably out of the advance).

all a long winded way of saying that he can offer the proceeds to charity, but there won’t be any.

I don’t understand your numbers and they certainly have no meaning given that you have no idea how much is being paid by foreign publishers for the rights to translate the book, you don’t know the print run, you don’t know the retail price and many of the other financial details that make up the financial forecast. And before you comment, yes I do – it’s what I do for a living in publishing.

BlueRidge · 27/10/2022 12:44

@Ostryga , "haters?"
What, are you 12 or something?

LaGioconda · 27/10/2022 12:45

Slightly mad to call himself a spare when he hasn't been the spare for over 9 years.

StopStartStop · 27/10/2022 12:46

Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 27/10/2022 12:31

PoseyFlump, it's well documented the young princes were told they didn't have to walk behind their mother's coffin, but Harry was the one who pushed for it, while William didn't want to. The Queen and Prince Philip wanted to keep the boys out of the public eye after their mother's death
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prince-philip-tony-blair-alastair-campbell-princess-diana-funeral-prince-william-prince-harry-a7903186.html

So basically, it's Blair's fault they walked behind the coffin.

Serenster · 27/10/2022 12:47

“Incredibly Wealthy and Privileged but Second-born, so Misses out on Job For Life”

would also be accurate, but let’s face it, its not as a catchy is it. 🤣

GoingOnce · 27/10/2022 12:47

They seem to be devoting their lives to complaining and wallowing. Is there no happiness. In her podcasts she just objects, complains, moans and criticises others. What a way to live when you are so incredibly privileged.

Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 27/10/2022 12:48

PoseyFlump, it's not behind a paywal???? The source was Anji Hunter, Tony Blair's Director of Government Relations who was actually there.

PoseyFlump · 27/10/2022 12:48

LaGioconda · 27/10/2022 12:45

Slightly mad to call himself a spare when he hasn't been the spare for over 9 years.

Is that like abuse victims are no longer allowed to call themselves victims after the abuse has stopped? Surely it is about the effect on a child being aware he is the spare? Regardless of wealth, he would have suffered trauma. And if you think his adult behaviour is weird then look to his childhood.

He probably knows a hell of a lot more than we do about creepy uncles and family skeletons.

Nancydrawn · 27/10/2022 12:49

Of course he gets to tell his story. It's his to tell, and he clearly feels the need to tell it. He should write the book if he wants to.

What he doesn't get to do is to control the reaction to the book, either by the press, or the readers, or his own family.

I suspect that there will be some self-reflection, some self-pitying, some juicy material, and some material that will make it impossible to ever be fully part of his family again.

It will probably be well written—the ghostwriter is good and has decent prose control.

The problem is, of course, is that all he has to offer is his own narrative. His work will never be lucrative enough to support his lifestyle. And he's decided the lifestyle is more important than his privacy or his peace of mind. It's a fair choice, but it certainly is a choice. So he has to sell parts of himself, and his secrets and private thoughts, off one by one.

Personally, I couldn't live that kind of bankrupted life. It seems awful to hate the thing that you rely on for more money rather than pushing forward with your own life and setting your own terms. But he wants the money, and he wants to settle scores, and that's reasonable enough, I suppose. And he's not going to become more interesting as he ages.

It seems all very hollow and vapid to me, and a sad acknowledgment that his feels his past is what is valuable about him. But he certainly gets to make that choice. I just hope he can stomach the consequences (not familial, but the license it will give people to make his private life public fodder).

PoseyFlump · 27/10/2022 12:49

Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 27/10/2022 12:48

PoseyFlump, it's not behind a paywal???? The source was Anji Hunter, Tony Blair's Director of Government Relations who was actually there.

I clicked the link and couldn't read it? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bbq1 · 27/10/2022 12:50

ShippingNews · 27/10/2022 11:40

The title is very meaningful. When you look at the history of the monarchy, the "spare" has always had problems. And no wonder with a word like that being used to describe you, from the day you are born

The title was chosen by the man child Harry in an attempt to generate sympathy for him. I have none. 'An heir and a spare' is just a saying and I'm sure the countless 'spares' throughout history Haven 't had epic, ongoing tantrums and completely ostracised their families. Also I doubt his mother, father or any other member of the family ever described him as a spare.

EdieLedwell · 27/10/2022 12:51

Hilarious how much one word has enraged so many.

lunar1 · 27/10/2022 12:51

Whatever people's thoughts are on his mothers life, death and funeral, PH is happily taking large sums of money from Netflix who are sensationalising her story.

Harry sends lawyers after the press on a regular basis, he's got plenty of money to pay them and could use them to get out his Netflix contract.

He's obviously happy to profit from it all, walking behind her coffin can't be used to excuse his behaviour forever more.

EdgeOfACoin · 27/10/2022 12:53

PoseyFlump · 27/10/2022 12:49

I clicked the link and couldn't read it? 🤷🏻‍♀️

It makes it look as though you have to register to read it, but you just click the button that says 'I'll try later' and you can read the article.

Tillsforthrills · 27/10/2022 12:53

Self-pitying, victimhood and complaints - no wonder him and MM understand each other so well.

He has so much to be grateful for, he’d hardly have enjoyed being the ‘Heir’. Also, how must his brother feel with such sour grapes?

PoseyFlump · 27/10/2022 12:54

@lunar1 do you think that one event is all that happened to him? I'm no fan of the elite classes but we can't say trauma and mental illness belongs only to working class people.

schnubbins · 27/10/2022 12:55

Poor sod , he really is a very very unhappy man .

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 27/10/2022 12:55

Serenster · 27/10/2022 12:47

“Incredibly Wealthy and Privileged but Second-born, so Misses out on Job For Life”

would also be accurate, but let’s face it, its not as a catchy is it. 🤣

😂😂😂😂😂

derxa · 27/10/2022 12:56

You'll all flame me but I don't get the big deal about the walking behind the coffin. It was a funeral and my experience of funerals are that they pass in blur no matter what happens. It's the months and years of grieving which are important. I believe that Harry said that he buried his feelings for years. This led to his behaviour in his teens I believe. I have a great deal of sympathy for what he suffered. However he's now in his late thirties and has time to process and learn to cope. Lashing out at the royal family won't help him in any way.

Hilarymantelspencilsharpener · 27/10/2022 12:56

He could have had a very useful career in the army - there are plenty of jobs within the service that don't require being on the front line. He could have made a real difference advocating for veterans (and I don't just mean with the Invictus games), but he obviously sees himself as a victim. This feeling was never apparent when he was appearing with William and Kate, or spending time with his mates - he seems to have fairly enjoyed his life of privilege. I don't think any of the senior members of the royal family would have had an issue if he'd said, 'hey, I'd really like to devote myself to a career'.

AnApparitionQuipped · 27/10/2022 12:56

Good title - I wonder if he came up with it or whether it was his editor/marketing team. I'll be interested to read it when it finds its way to the library or charity shops.

CarpeVitam · 27/10/2022 12:57

@RedHelenB

No - only on Mumsnet would anyone try to assert that a 12 year old is not a child 🙄

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