Strangest bits in Spare…

[Motorcycleemptyness]

i haven’t quite finished it yet but I wanted to read a thread about some of the weirder bits of Spare, and I haven’t seen a thread where people were discussing those without the ‘H&M’ vs the rest of the RF debate. There are definitely some parts which have made me really question why they were included, and I was wondering if anyone else had any similar thoughts.

The inclusion of the imagery of the poppy fields, and how heroin funds the Taliban. Fair enough. We all know that. The rest of the book is one long ode to posh people taking drugs. Does Prince Harry think the cocaine he takes is gently knitted by fairies and delivered to him by unicorns? Do the drugs he takes not contribute to war and terrorism and misery across the rest of the world (and indeed misery and crime in the UK, where he is 5th in line to be monarch!) I found this quite a strange passage and I was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts, or am I just over thinking it?

Elizabeth Arden cream. ‘Mummy’s lips’. ‘Todger’. Why? But really, why? Why was this included? Why did anyone think it or commit it to paper, and then publish it? Why did I read it? Why am I typing it here? ARGH.

What he actually thinks the relationship between the royal family and the press should actually be. Only reporting true things? Someone had a photo of him taking cocaine. Dressed as a nazi. Calling his colleague a ‘P*ki’. He wasn’t happy, but it was all true. Should journalists not be allowed to report true things? Or should they only be reporting things he wants them to report? Does Andrew get to choose that too? What about everyone else?

What the actual royal family should look like. This was mind bending. He seems to be perfectly happy with the idea of the monarchy, an institution which is predicated on the idea that they’re inherently superior to the rest of us, and that’s their birth right, but seems to massively struggle to apply that to himself and William. If a monarchy is the best system, why shouldn’t the heir be treated differently to the spare? (I don’t believe it is the best system and wish we could abolish them all but I don’t understand how one can believe one but not the other!).

Anyone else have any interesting thoughts?

Eyerollcentral

ah thank you! Was feeling better but think I misjudged it and started trying to catch up on chores so back to bed rest for another day or so. Plus antibiotics always wipe me out. Hope you’re recovering well? 💐

Motorcycleemptyness 😂😭

I think it's all part of the Cool Girl narrative Harry has going.

Cool girls don't google their prospective boyfriends and families, even when they are princes of the most famous royal family in the history of the world. That would be a bit stalkerish and contrived. They are natural free spirits, and also terribly intelligent and more interested in intellectual and worthy social pursuits, like Anne Hathaway in the Princess Diaries or Drew Barrymore in Ever After. They bump into princes whilst running wandering in nature, reciting poetry.

Cool girls aren't formal upon meeting their bf's family for the first time. No, they bound around about bare foot and in ripped jeans, proffering hugs.

Cool girls don't get hypersemis and have shit births. No, they bounce around on a purple ball eating tacos, while they smile indulgently at their husband getting high on the gas and air.

Yes I have to say I think probably William’s got away with a lot especially when they were younger and it has probably has been pinned on harry. What I found interesting in Harry’s book is that he didn’t specify when that did happen and give examples. That’s more what i expected of the book tbqh.
For what it’s worth I do think Meghan is a lovely looking woman, I’d imagine harry found her very attractive. Especially when they were a deux and she was in flirtatious form.
I just don’t believe that scene played out at all like M and H have said. I’d say the simplest explanation is that M and H didn’t want to seem like they have had anything to do with Andrew given his current disgrace. Had the Virginia G allegations been made public by the time Meghan met him? Anyway there is simply no way he was standing there like a mannequin and neither his mother, his daughter, son in law, ex wife or harry didn’t acknowledge Who he was. I mean if M knew who Fergie was - and it seems she did - how in hell did she not know she had been married to Andrew!!!

Antibiotics kill me! You’ll just have to spend more time in bed!!!

excuse my ignorance, is the cool girl a seduction strategy for women ? Like the female version of the 90s misogynistic manipulative pick up artist? I haven’t come across it before? I guess I’ll Google it as I’m not a casual nonchalant cool girl 🥹😂

The cool girl trope is best described by the Gone Girl:

Ha ha ha ha I think you have a point. She is too special to be like all those other silly girls, she isn’t interested in who he is or what she has because she already has it all (in the image she is trying to project…) The birth fajitas are hilarious and I simply must know what the birth dance involves. I was disappointed that otherwise the birth stories were so pedestrian, not even a doula or any smudging

I don't know if it predates Gone Girl, but this quote from it sums up what PP meant I think.

Ahhhhh I see! A faux submissive! Yes I’ve witnessed that in action so often so glad I have a term for it now!

May well be something in that, it’s like mirroring to build a (fake) sense of intimacy (I.e. manipulate) in a way. But how interesting that he’s done the same thing. He’s gone from posho stoner party boy drifter living off daddy, to woke eco justice warrior/saviour…if they’re both presenting false versions for the others benefit, at the same time, does it cancel out 😂

Not only was Andrew not introduced but either was Fergie's friend who both H&M didn't know. Just weird!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good article here about some of the discrepancies. katiecouric.com/culture/what-the-media-should-ask-prince-harry/?fbclid=PAAaZPZ9XalVsohORCN2m5Lgm1r8qfyxJXy40PIFnjBo0EOUgGVpLCc4sdQvg

@Ridemeginger

Think you've nailed it

How could the ghost write this with a straight face re: ‘singing seals’… :)

‘When you see a seal (Charles) sing to it, they often sing back’ (Charles adds it’s unbelievable M shares his favourite, ‘Gan Gan’s’ Birthday, Aug 4th). Everything intertwines you see, so many parallels with the family, the favoured ‘Gan Gan’ shares a Birthday, clearly another ‘sign’!

‘I sang to them AROO…no reply’ ‘Meg joined me and now, of course, they sang back’ ‘a seal opera’ ‘She really is magic, even the seals sang back’.

@StartupRepair
great article

Had the Virginia G allegations been made public by the time Meghan met him?

She took out the civil action in 2021. It feels like so much longer ago than that.

The whole Epstein sorry circus was well known by then.

Aw the seals anecdote is sweet, as is the shared birthday. It’s like that when you fall in love isn’t it? The negativity towards H & M is startling on this thread and the Royals board generally - and I say that as a former sceptic myself. I’m halfway through the book and feel much more sympathetic towards them than previously. Yes it’s one-sided, but what autobiography isn’t. It’s also funny and bloody brave, considering the stranglehold of the tabloid press.

Let’s hope the birth dance was better than her David Brent dancing impression I’ve seen on YouTube - (in Nott Cott doorway) could be from the docuseries. Seriously cringe.

@ferntwist you can see it that way, fair point. I wish both well & feel any real judgement should be reserved for actions that follow.

Omg that dance! It was so…hypnotic! I couldn’t stop watching it and trying to work out what the hell was going on!!!! It was a total sorority party dance they all learned off together as freshmen at university 😭

Yes but that was a long way down the line from the time the accusations against Andrew emerged wasn’t it? I think anyway, covid warped my sense of time, the last five years are one year to me 😅

A quick Google says she first made the allegations against Andrew in 2015

The birthday thing in itself is cringe because I just can’t see Charles being ‘NO WAY MEGS THAT’S MY GRANNY’s B-DAY!!!!’ I could see an ‘oh really how funny that was the Queen mother’s birthday as well’.
The whole thrust is to make it all seem so magical and fated. Same with the seals. It’s cringe because he actually says she is so magic the seals sing to her, despite Charlie saying yeah they will sing back to you.
Well, sorry no, the ultimate cringe in that story is the Aussie Chef butting in (cannot see that being tolerated in itself!!) saying strewth mate you shouldn’t have gone swimming there, it’s crawling with killer whales!!!! Although confusingly it must be a beach you can swim at and therefore zero danger to the public!!!

Yes. Andrew was being photographed with him from 1999/2000 onwards. They were friends. Andrew took him to Balmoral (with Maxwell) and stayed in Epstein's homes.

Epstein was convicted of the sex trafficking of minors in 2008, sentenced to jail time in 2010.

It was well known in 2016 that Epstein was a nonce and that Andrew was his friend.

inews.co.uk/news/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-timeline-friendship-virginia-giuffre-settlement-1464023