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Inconsistencies in Spare over hearing about Queen Mother's death

683 replies

Ridemeginger · 10/01/2023 14:52

Harry writes that he found out about the Queen Mother's passing away (in March 2002):

"At Eton, while studying, I took the call. I wish I could remember whose voice was on the other end. A courtiers I believe. I recall that is was just before Easter, the weather bright and warm, light slanting through my window, filled with vivid colours. "Your Royal Highness. The Queen Mother has died." "

News reports at the time reported he was skiing in Switzerland with Charles and William. The Queen Mother died on 30 March 2002. Easter Saturday. He wouldn't have been at school.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/622457.stm

Recollections may vary, indeed! I doubt very much Harry would have taken the call if he's been with his father.

Didn't the editors do any fact checking?

OP posts:
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9
asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

JaneJeffer · 10/01/2023 19:28

SirChenjins · 10/01/2023 19:20

@Sagharbor Because the book is awash with mistruths and misrememberings - if he cba to check his facts then what are we supposed to believe and what are we supposed to discount?

It might have been easier if he’d classified each paragraph into different headings - ‘defo happened’, ‘pretty sure it happened but I was off my tits so can’t be sure’, ‘sorta happened but I’ve conveniently left out big chunks’, ‘totally didn’t happen but it’s my book and I can write what I like’. Then we’d all know which bits to read for the lols and which bit to feel sadness/sympathy/etc for him.

🤣

Ryder68 · 10/01/2023 19:29

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

Totally, for me.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 10/01/2023 19:29

I wonder if also this situation places extra pressure on the subject to manoeuvre their memories into a story that the ghostwriter can tell?

I would think that a good ghostwriter can put a person sufficiently at ease to get as much of an accurate version as is possible.

Canthave2manycats · 10/01/2023 19:31

Harry: “I was conversant with the general contours of her sad life. Great loves thwarted by the Palace. Exuberant streaks of self-destruction splashed across the tabloids. One hasty marriage, which looked doomed at the outset and ended up being even worse than expected".

Remind you of anyone, Harold??

Wilkolampshade · 10/01/2023 19:33

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

God yes.
Also, "recollections may vary" is beginning to sound like world class trolling understatement by the RF.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 10/01/2023 19:33

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

It actually doesn’t affect what I think about his memory of recent events. Though I’d take a fair proportion of his childhood memories with a pinch of salt. Not because I think he is lying so much as misremembering, with his current unhappiness at his family colouring his recollection.

GloomyDarkness · 10/01/2023 19:36

JonahCL9 · 10/01/2023 19:23

On the radio just now it said that in the 'acknowledgements' bit PH thanks 71 employees at PRH involved in the production of the book (and another batch on the audio book) - surely someone must have been charged with accuracy check. I mean the publishing industry isn't showering itself in glory in terms of accuracy this week if there are factual errors in this book preceded by home hacks that run the risk of losing a finger in Jack Monroe's latest opus...

Has the publishing industry been badly hit with cut backs or nepotism (apparently that's increasingly an issue in Hollywood) or digital books or decrease in readers?

It's not the first time I've heard of issues in the industry.

MandyMotherOfBrian · 10/01/2023 19:37

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

Yes, exactly. If nothing has been fact checked and things have been misremembered/confused but it’s still presented as the whole truth, how can we know what bits to believe and what to not believe?

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 10/01/2023 19:38

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

Yep. Too many inconsistencies and lies. I don't believe a word he says.

Cath667 · 10/01/2023 19:39

It was absolutely terrible that he lost his mother at the age of 12 but it doesn't give you a free pass to behave badly for the rest of your life, or to have excuses made for your behaviour. I lost both my parents when young and didn't have any of the support Harry would have had. I know others who suffered even greater losses than me while young. He has no money worries, a beautiful wife, lovely children and an amazing home. He should be counting his blessings.

Orangefir · 10/01/2023 19:40

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

Yup

As these are things that the ordinary members of the public can fact check and say is wrong.

As lots of the book is private conversations/observations and experiences by Harry, there’s no way we can prove if these are true or false. With the RF not commenting we can’t prove if they are true or false. With the staff not commenting, we can’t prove if it’s true of false.
Therefore, because we can’t verify and because he has been loose with the actual facts, everything he says can be taken with a pinch of salt.

KalvinPhillipsBoots · 10/01/2023 19:41

H2bow · 10/01/2023 15:51

He also says him, Meghan and Archie were back home within 2 hours of him being born. He also says she has an epidural (dubious as he also says she gave birth in the water which wouldn't be possible but anyway). Considering the drive from the hospital to their home was at least 40 mins, no way she was discharged an hour and 20 minutes afterwards. Yes people can self discharge, but its so wildly unlikely unless the epidural wore off super speedily.

Her legs would still have been numb through the epidural, the baby would of needed checking over by the Dr, so I do not believe him here either.,

Merrymouse · 10/01/2023 19:42

I would think that a good ghostwriter can put a person sufficiently at ease to get as much of an accurate version as is possible.

But the ghostwriter’s brief is to write a book that will sell, not to create a historical record. They need a narrative arc, because people make sense of things through stories. However life is often just random and doesn’t make sense.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 10/01/2023 19:42

Ridemeginger · 10/01/2023 19:19

It's not just him, is it? It's the ghostwriter, editors, publishers. It's their job to fact check. And a 30 second google can find the inaccuracies in this account, so they clearly were not doing their job; and have done Harry a disservice in the process, because it's reflecting badly on him and giving doubt to the veracity of his accounts.

I think that’s the big one with this book.

Harry isn’t a random guy writing a book that no-one can check.

Swathes of his life are public record and recorded and very, very easily checkable.

So why is there no fact checking going on? Or is advice being ignored?

Its going to lead to people disbelieving everything in his book. Or at least disbelieving his timeline of it, which is an issue when the point of the book is about setting out ‘the truth’.

StatisticallyChallenged · 10/01/2023 19:46

Wilkolampshade · 10/01/2023 19:33

God yes.
Also, "recollections may vary" is beginning to sound like world class trolling understatement by the RF.

Show quote history

It is turning out to be the most wonderfully approprtiate response!

Orangefir · 10/01/2023 19:46

Merrymouse · 10/01/2023 19:42

I would think that a good ghostwriter can put a person sufficiently at ease to get as much of an accurate version as is possible.

But the ghostwriter’s brief is to write a book that will sell, not to create a historical record. They need a narrative arc, because people make sense of things through stories. However life is often just random and doesn’t make sense.

Harry literally says the book is ‘essential for historical fact and significance’ in his ITV interview

DobbyTheHouseElk · 10/01/2023 19:48

I remember that Easter Sunday vividly. I was driving up the motorway to meet my parents for Church as it was Easter Sunday. The clocks had changed that morning and I hadn’t realised so I thought it was ahead of myself by an hour.

I turned on the car radio to hear the time, which threw me and a breaking news report on the QM death and how Prince Charles was breaking protocol by flying with his sons to be with HMQ immediately.

That’s my truth. But hey…maybe I remember 2002 more clearly than Harry does.

Merrymouse · 10/01/2023 19:52

Harry literally says the book is ‘essential for historical fact and significance’ in his ITV interview

Bless.

Merrymouse · 10/01/2023 19:53

(Sarcasm directed at Harry, not you Orangefir!)

MechanicaHound · 10/01/2023 19:56

Future historians are going to be tying themselves in knots trying to establish what really happened.

Future historians will not care how a minor royal was told about his great grandmother's death.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 10/01/2023 19:57

MechanicaHound · 10/01/2023 19:56

Future historians are going to be tying themselves in knots trying to establish what really happened.

Future historians will not care how a minor royal was told about his great grandmother's death.

No, but they will be doing so to trying work out the reliability of the man who has accused the future King of assault.

SirChenjins · 10/01/2023 20:06

asblindasabat · 10/01/2023 19:27

So what is the general consensus on this? That this puts the rest of his claims in doubt?

I believe there are certain things which which are true due to the laws of probability if nothing else - but fuck knows what they are.

RocketsMagnificent7 · 10/01/2023 20:07

BradfordGirl · 10/01/2023 18:26

@JaneJeffer Anyone who has lost family members should know that memory over details can become confused. It is very common.

How arrogant of you!

I've lost family members and I remember the losses very clearly. I could tell you in great detail every moment of the evening my beloved grandad died; I was 10, it was more than 3 decades ago.

You really do believe your way is the only way.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 10/01/2023 20:07

But the ghostwriter’s brief is to write a book that will sell, not to create a historical record.

Equally though, if the ghostwriter wants to continue their career they need a reasonable reputation for honesty and accuracy as well as good writing style. This one was (I think) a journalist who won a Pulitzer prize.

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