Just finished 'Spare'...

[HerReputationMadeItDifficultToProceed]

… and I encourage anyone who’s even vaguely interested in this story to give it a read. Especially if what’s been leaked has made you at all angry, because I think in context everything makes a lot of sense.

I wasn’t a Harry and Meghan hater before reading this, but I wasn’t a fan girl either. Like many Brits, I find a lot of Americans- especially West Coast Americans- quite irritating and Meghan firmly falls into that camp for me. I’m sure she’s nice enough, but she’s very American and very perky and much like Wednesday Addams, I don’t do perky. However, I suspect that her intentions and generally good and that like most of us she’s got good and bad qualities. She’s clearly ambitious and I think that she probably initially dated Harry based on that ambition and on getting a platform, although I think that she genuinely loves him now.

The ghost writer has done a great job at capturing Harry’s personality I think; he comes across as introspective and thoughtful but funny and bright.

I think that Harry has a good soul; I think that he’s kind and has had a hard time of it growing up. I also think he’s a bit clueless and naive and has been in a bubble, but I think he acknowledges that and wants to understand and change. Undoubtedly losing his mother at the age he was had more of an outward impact on him than it had on William. He’s also been a victim of his dad’s wishywashy parenting. It sounds like- and looks like to me from my vantage point as a normal citizen who knows bugger all except what I’ve seen in the media- that Charles has been there for his kids to an extent, but not in a hands on or especially useful way. It also seems clear that Charles has always put Camilla first. From almost the moment Diana died it seems that he wanted, above everything else, to rehabilitate Camilla’s image so that they could marry. I think that he put that above being a father and the way Harry writes about their relationship makes that clear too.

I also think that it’s suited the palace to portray Harry as dimwitted and feckless to show William in a better light and that Harry has every right to be angry about that and not want to play that game anymore (and to call it out now). Especially as it’s obvious that the palace haven’t kept up their side of the bargain and protected Harry from the media in return.

I also think that the media have treated H and M poorly and it’s clearly the case that the palace has used them and news stories about them to divert from other newsworthy problems… certainly Prince Andrew, perhaps William’s affair/s. Is Harry overly jumpy about the media and the paparazzi in particular? Yes, of course. Who wouldn’t be with his background. But they’ve also obviously been hounded and harassed.

I do think that Harry is on a journey that he isn’t at the end of yet, but I think that he realises that too. I think that he was always going to leave the royal family and that Meghan didn’t cause what’s happened, she was just the catalyst for it. I think that he’s been scapegoated and an afterthought within his nuclear family and I don’t blame him for being angry. I think that he means well and is essentially good. And I don’t think that anyone who’s read the whole book would be able to disagree.

More than anything I think it’s clear that the British Royal Family is no longer fit for purpose; the way they live, bring up their children, pay their members for work and demand unrealistic levels of protocol and formality is no longer working in the 21st century. These people need purpose and lives beyond the crown and those on the edges of the heir shouldn’t have to live their lives in service of the their. Realistically H and M could have worked as royals and had private interests, the RF chose not to bend to help them live fulfilling lives because of its own, outdated reasons.

You would be happy if a member of your family wrote such a memoir then I take it.

@MangosteenSoda That sounds almost comical. I wouldn’t mind watching a play if it was re-enacted like this. Though I do hope this just a parody and not actually what was in the book.

I’ve never heard of Rushdie. Nor have I heard the fact that his fatwa (which is legal ruling from a religious figure) was specifically for blasphemously attacking Islam.

I'm not a member of the Royal Family.

Lots of famous people write memoirs and autobiographies.

Does Spare address Bunker Harold’s alleged treatment of sex workers?

It fails to address this and various other points I'd have liked to have seen included.

The clouded shooting of protected birds of prey, the documented shooting for fun of a water buffalo, why his charity is registered in tax efficient Delaware, the destination of donated funds originating in the Royal Foundation and how Travalyst ran up debtors and creditors during a global lockdown.

I'm sure there are others I've overlooked.

Can you imagine being on the receiving end of comments like that about your partner, about your looks, about your children from anyone never mind your own son/brother? And this same person still insist to the world that he loves you! You can't deny you would be devastated.

Meghan was approaching the age where the number of roles for women drop off a cliff.

she had no assets while on suits, you have to pay agents, publicists, be seen and network which ate up her salary.

she was in Canada not Hollywood so limited networking opportunities too. That’s why she was in the U.K.

I wouldn’t be so bloody stupid as to mismanage the situation to the point that a family member left the country and wrote a book.

This was all down to dire management and was entirely avoidable. The palace learnt nothing from Diana, indeed simply repeated the same mistakes.

So do a lot of non famous people. They're often 'misery memoirs'. I'm sure someone could twist the facts about my life in a misery memoir. Would you like that if it's so inoffensive.

I’ve just started reading spare and its so far had me laughing out loud, especially the bits about King Charles. I didn’t expect it to be so detailed and touching, the way Harry refers to his mum as having disappeared, my heart. Definitely looking forward to reading the rest of it over the next few weeks, i would have never expected this from prince harry, I’m glad he’s finally had a chance to use his voice, to say what he wants to say, must be so emancipating.

It wouldn't happen. What we are talking about is something unique and different, and complicated. This is no ordinary family.

Agree.

I think the point pp is trying to make is that they are still human beings. With feelings.

I'm afraid he Harry is a grade A t*t. If he were my brother I would find his sensationalist trashing impossible to forgive. Funnily though, his words have trashed himself for fame and fortune ...and most of us feel great sympathy for William for having the biggest d**"k for a brother.

Dan Wooton worked for News of the World and the Sun, writes for the Daily Mail amd is on GB News so why would anybody care what he thinks. Yes the book is targeted exactly against the likes of Dan Wooton and predictably he has gone into a Piers Morgan-esque meltdown.

Right. As H is very well aware.

Exactly this! Having read the book I'm of the same opinion as the OP

A Indian muslim born writer publishes a novel which depics their prophet in unfavourably light = White Royal redhead christian , 5th in line to the throne, who joined up, went to Sandhurst , every paper tells of him killing Taliban, as a vet has supported injured vets in the invictus games, publishes tell all bio and states his kill count.

Yes, I'm seeing it.....

If we are all going to comment about what we think of the book then all of us on here need to have read it ! Which is nearly not the case - then you can validate your opinion !

Dan Wootton said they are unhinged

Dan Wooton,....wasn't it the Nazi's who said, number one rule of propaganda is accuse your enemy of what you're guilty of?

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Only Harry and Meghan are allowed to have feelings. But not Charles, William, Kate or that poor blooming house parent at Ludgrove. I have compassion for Harry and who wouldn't but lashing out at everybody will not heal him. And all for money. How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.

This, no way would I give my money to these two so won't be buying the book.

I was always advised to get both sides of a story before forming an opinion. Unfortunately we'll never get the RF side, so what I'd really like to see is the investigation into the bullying charges and why people keep leaving the employ of the Sussex's.
I must admit initially I was sympathetic to the Sussex's but, not anymore the way they trash British values and traditions and their 'story' keeps changing. They've been going on about this for 3 yrs and now its now just the british press that are turning on them but the US too.

I know you are determined not to get it but saying anything about his role in the war in Afghanistan is monumentally stupid by Harry. His comments have rightly caused uproar in Afghanistan, Pakistan and among many Muslims worldwide. Harry was already a target. Now his stupidity means he is a massive target. Someone killing him would now be quite popular with quite a lot of people. Look what happened to Mountbatten. You must be q naive not to see that Harry can easily be seen as a living embodiment of the arrogance of Britain and the US leading the discredited war in Afghanistan which led to huge civilian casualties. Those cheese pieces he talks about so causally were people with families of their own. They have a right to disgusted at Harry’s crass comments. The taliban couldn’t gaf about the invictus games, due to his stupidity they will be looking to kill him every day for the rest of his life. He has made himself a figurehead for slaughter.

I second this. People who knew them at school have always spoken highly of William and thought Harry was a total pr*t. At the time I thought that was rather unkind, given the circumstances. Now that he's revealed his attitude to his matron at school, I wonder is that the kind of thing they were talking about? The other problem for him, is that now he's declared war on journalists, they're no longer holding back all the stuff they knew about parents of girlfriends finding him drunk, disrespectful and rude. I wonder (and this speculation, of course) if the incident where William pushed him is the one time that William lost it himself, after years of trying to cover up for, and help his out-of-control sibling?