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?

@HaveYouSeenNancy interesting, be curious to know which parts of the books re: being written by same person.

Bower I believe says both H & M sat down with the ghost, Meghan so he could understand the parts that involved her specifically.

@Lizziet64 which parts of the second half made you wonder re: authorship if you can recall?

Has the ghost promoted the book I wondered & did he post the Agassi book?

PC was a far bigger name than either of Serena or Oprah, ensured her even more column inches once she had made her solo walk up the steps and walked halfway down the aisle alone. There's a theatrical element in everything she does and a consideration of how this will look in the photos and videos.

I thought this was an odd and somewhat disturbing little tale, not sure whether it's been discussed anywhere. Charles is driving around near Sandringham and sees a Typhoon jet fighter overhead. He somehow knows this must be something to do with Harry (stationed nearby on training manoeuvres), so drops in to RAF Marham to say hello.

I loved seeing Pa, loved feeling his pride, and I felt buoyed by his praise, but I had to get back to work. I was mid-control, couldn’t tell the Typhoon to please hold on a moment. Yes, yes, darling boy, back to work. He drove off.

'As he went down the track I told the Typhoon: New target. Gray Audi. Headed southeast from my position down track. Towards a big silver barn oriented east-west. The Typhoon tracked Pa, did a low pass straight over him, almost shattering the windows of his Audi. But ultimately spared him. On my orders. It went on to blow a silver barn to smithereens.'

Just....what?

www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/01/10/prince-harry-called-air-strike-on-his-father-the-king-while-training-for-afghanistan/

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11627667/Prince-Harry-reveals-sent-fighter-jet-Charles-car-training-Afghanistan.html

Just reading about how Harry was rude to Thomas when he was sick in hospital. Instead of fessing up to Charles, they fed him that nonsense about Thomas’ phone and email being compromised . Also why did the palace lie Thomas okayed Charles walking her down the aisle, did they knowingly lie or is that what they were told

Yes the helicopter training story is odd. If that’s an attempt at humour it’s cringe. Also he admits people had been complaining cos he’d been flying it around where he shouldn’t and they made excuses and covered for him. Another example of his special treatment. And what on earth is he on about that he shot up a barn - really

No this was before he moved onto helicopters, he was training for calling in air strikes from Typhoons, so he was on the ground and talking to the pilot on the radio. He was supposed to direct them onto a target and they’d then pretend to blow it up. No actual weapons fired or damage done.

Yes I just co isn’t make any sense of that bit at all. It’s batshit.

Couldn’t!

I get that they were not using live ammo, so that the bit at the end about blowing up the barn was probably just "technically I'd have blown it to smithereens if I'd been armed". But what about buzzing his dad's Audi? Did that happen? Could it have caused an accident. And if it's all a fantasy or just a made up manoeuvre - who would think about blowing up their own father? His subconscious is a bit treasonous!

Probably serious exaggeration. No RAF pilot is going to go below safe low flying levels over a random car just because a trainee controller on exercise told them to.

Exactly. I suspect this tale is as nonsensical as much else he claims.

I think he loves thinking that he might have a bit of power over his father in some way. So much of what they both say seems to be fantasy mixed up with their own version of fact.

So he was pleased his father came to see him and was so proud of him, and his reaction to that was to buzz his car "almost shattering the windows"? And he's taking credit for "sparing him"? WTF?

Yeah, that's so weird.

PC walking MM down the aisle was not inappropriate. I thought it was kind of sweet. Especially when PH said "thanks, Pop," when he was done.

I thought that bit was just a joke that landed badly, his sense of humour is a bit like that, I’ve noticed, he tries to be dry but doesn’t quite get it right.

Yeah just so bizarre and unpleasant

Does anyone have a link to the David Brent stuff? Can’t find it and it sounds hilarious

(In revenge, when they discuss Meghan hustling and trying to raise her profile, reminded me of extras, when Andy decides to be a sell out for fame and is asked to get papped with b list celebs. Andy morphs into a self absorbed intolerable narcissist as the series progresses, a bit similar to meghans character journey in revenge so far. Both started out likeable, and tenacious too. )

I’ve just finished Revenge, I’ve also read Courtiers and Spare. Personally I think Courtiers is the best written and most credible of the three, it also steers a middle path between the other two. The interesting thing is that Courtiers and Revenge pretty much agree on the facts.

I agree. I’ve read them all.

I don’t know how to do links but as well as the dancing there’s a clip on a YouTuber’s channel where it intersects (if that’s the right word) MM reading a poem in her podcast with David Brent reading a poem in The Office.😁

I’ve just found it Daniel Boland Meghan Markle reading poetry.

thank you! Am v sick in bed and this thread is getting me through

Is this the Brent-esque dancing clip?