Spare
2023
- harry, prince, duke of sussex, 1984-
- windsor, house of
- personal memoirs
The story
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother... For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
What it’s like
Conversational and blunt, the voice of a man talking straight to the reader, often digressing mid-thought and doubling back to settle a score or admit a fault. Scenes from boyhood, the army, and a public life under constant camera flashes are stitched together without much ceremony, so the mood keeps shifting between tender, bristling, and raw. The sensory world is mostly English estates, scrubby Afghan landscapes, and the hot, cramped feel of press scrums and hotel corridors, rendered in plain words rather than lush description. Its vibe is candid, restless and sad, with flickers of wry humour, best suited to a long train journey, a quiet evening with the audiobook, or a reader who wants a personal account rather than a polished arc. Intensity is moderate and frank: combat recollections, panic attacks, grief, and detailed accounts of harassment and family conflict, with some strong language and no gore or sexual content. It suits readers curious about royal life and its pressures, and those who want an unvarnished, self-examining confession about grief, duty and belonging.
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