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?

Not read courtiers, though must have a look. I thought revenge was v comprehensive and q well written. It is a quick read too, goes along at a pretty good lick.

@comrad I am three quarters of way through & its proving surprisingly (?) accurate in terms of what ‘we know now’ & was rejected before.

Courtiers is well written & researched.

I’ve just seen how cheap Revenge is. It’s downloading on my Kindle right now.

Re: actresses up thread I meant, of course, NOT wanting to leave the profession soon re: freezing eggs. To allow them to continue in a role on TV etc.

@Frezia the whole point of my post was that she would use very flowery language to describe her experience of birth and that maybe the vague references to her pregnancies and births in his book are because she didn't want his more forthright style to describe it in detail. Which is what you're saying too. But also... the reality of giving birth isn't glamorous or sexy or fun which is what she always tries to project. When Meghan talks about how she sees herself she mentions 'the softness and the playfulness and the laughter. The silliness.' That's what comes across in the very scant details Harry includes, probably by design - and the writing she has done about being a mother is poetic. So I think we'll get a poetic, vague book that's full of emotion and light on detail. Harry's book is light on detail too, but for different reasons. I'm not sure there's an argument here?

@Blossomtoes be interesting to discuss in time. There’s quite a bit that gives an interesting perspective on Spare.

@Peverellshire Chasing Light by Stefanie Tong has passages written in really very similar words, according to the internet.

Re: Nottingham Cottage’s low ceilings, spartan & substandard soft furnishings, I hadn’t realised they’d also taken a lease on a luxurious barn in Great Tew, Cotswolds.

Wouldn’t that sweeten the bitter pill somewhat? They used chefs from nearby members club & entertained friends etc in large kitchen.

I do sympathise if things were fraught though back in London whilst wedding planning going on.

@Mingmoo I saw…

IF accurate it makes me wonder…I simply find it very hard to believe Harry was in the delivery suite with a takeaway Nandos, they’d be simply be no need for one thing. Poss a way to make him more relatable?

Not to mention slow acting pregnancy ‘wands’ that seemingly take much longer than the requisite few minutes to respond’ positive or negative. More like half an hour? On the ‘nightstand’.

If accurate it makes me rather wonder more whether the ghost writer also absorbed M’s words as per ‘authorship’ & if she sat in with H ‘directing’? No biggie if so I guess?

Definitely this. If they have any sense they would remove themselves from the public glare, and concentrate on their personal life. In time, if they want, come back ‘reinvented’ which would include absolutely nothing to do with the RF, no complaining or bitchiness just get on with doing things that they have created themselves. They have plenty of money now so they need to go quietly into the sunset and enjoy.

@BellePeppa if you want a Clooney lifestyle how long does the money last I wonder?

I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the phraseology is not reflective of Harry’s natural manner of speaking. As you say is that the ghost writer or is that M’s influence - implicit or explicit. There have been odd twitterings from the ghost writer in terms of his likes and posts and he hasn’t promoted the book at all on his social media. There are also what appear to be well informed whispers that he was fired/left the project before it was completed. Like a lot around H and M it seems difficult to discern the truth of what actually happened

Well quite. In reality, living the lifestyle they are with no more money incoming from any other source but your own hustle…you can only sell the family silver once. In saying that haz is gamely trying to auction it a second time by teasing he has enough for another book. Maybe one of the corgis pissed on his shoe and William laughed, he’ll get a chapter out of that surely?

@Eyerollcentral interesting. If Meghan was indeed sitting in or ‘the power behind the pen’ or involved’ I do wonder at the wisdom of including the penis parts (although this may appeal to the ‘American’ sense of humour rather more ;)? And, of course, the other controversial bits. For sure she’ll have read it prior to publication & she’s smart.

Did the ghost behave similarly as per the Agassi book?

@Eyerollcentral I sincerely hope what he might reveal IS that trivial…otherwise…well it might not be pretty & might mean permanent ostracism.

Someone upthread I think mentioned the tragic death of the idealised ‘Henners’. Very tragically he died in a car smash. This must have been exceptionally hard to bear given the circumstances.

I think the rift is pretty much unbridgeable now. Charles might forgive him but I think he’s permanently pissed on his chips with William.

I honestly don’t know re his Agassi book. I do wonder that any loving spouse wouldn’t counsel their partner to hold back a little. Harry has included a lot of humiliating information but very little of real substance in any detail. It may be that he can’t be talked to, some people are like that. However I can’t imagine not at least questioning for example the bit about frozen penis (which goes on a while), Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and his mother.

@Eyerollcentral it does seem strange, he clearly adores her so you’d imagine he’d heed wise counsel.

You would have thought so! Makes you wonder if they are both on the same page (boom boom)

Started reading revenge, and in light of all the stuff that’s come out recently, wow 🤯

@comrad I can’t believe more aren’t picking this up? Wasn’t it rubbished at time?

I know right? Makes you wonder why as soon as you mention his name on here the author is derided as one of history’s greatest villains

@Eyerollcentral too true, yet it mainly rings true & has aged well?

Yeah I think it was all dismissed and ignored in general. That’s why I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the 2.99 on iBooks 😂The normalisation of drug taking when growing up - wow - explains why she didn’t run a mile when meting Harry etc. But it’s showing a pattern of behaviour! And a lot of it’s ringing true. The victim mentality, hypocrisy, shape shifting personality, high expectations of others but loyalty not returned, ruthless networking / social climbing, playing then marginalised card to illicit sympathy and justify crappy behaviour. I have a relative (more than one actually) that displays similar behaviour. The speech Trevor provided at the wedding about being the family she’s never had, and her parents mouths falling open. Wow, the level of smearing her own parents, using her husband as a flying monkey and a public event to humiliate her own parents. Unfortunately have a sibling who is similar to this 🫣

Quite liked her at the start of the book. Sounds as though she had to juggle her parents egos, maybe some emotional enmeshment. And she must have felt rejected with her mum leaving to pursue her independence. She sounds lonely too, and the book does attempt to give a balanced view in that it’s not shy to voice her positive points and successes. However, as it’s progressing, not a fan of how a lot of Meghans relationships appear to be transactional. And her ability to exploit.

Writing style is easier to digest, than Spare. But Spare has illusions of being a mash up of hunter Thompson / Jack Kerouac. Fear and loathing in Buckingham Palace

I admired a lot about Meghan reading the book. Tbf to her she grafted and networked and when she set a goal she achieved it. Yes she was spoilt and extremely manipulated but she definitely had a work ethic and talk about self belief, wow!
Spoiler alert
‘The speech Trevor provided at the wedding about being the family she’s never had, and her parents mouths falling open’ - harry makes nearly the same speech verbatim at their wedding.