"Spare" memoir by the Duke of Sussex (2023)

[Denville]

That’s one way to put it.

Dont you agree? From the bits I've read, in this forum, it seems as if there is a lot of rambling, and long scrambled outpourings, and he thinks we want to hear about his male bits and also about how he giggled and mocked a matron AND how Meghan did this or that... and its all fairly incoherent.
Like that bit about West Abbey, where I suspect he got some input from the ghost writer about all the dead who were buried there, agiain its all fairly rambling stuff.
And re the press etc, I DO think he perhaps does not realise that the Press office and aides DID do a lot of protecting him while he was a working royal and acting like an ass at times. but he wants to beleive that Charles and his staff were saying mean things to blacken Harry's name and buff up Camilla's. Does not seem to think that the Press office is trying to protect and boost the RF as a whole and that while he was a wroking royal they tried to keep his name clean.

 

[Curryong]

Readers react about Harry’s Spare, having read the book.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/13/prince-harry-spare-book-readers-react

 

[Curryong]

I’ve read the book and I don’t regard it as rambling or incoherent.
Harry’s ghostwriter is a very distinguished Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64217330

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Dont you agree? From the bits I've read, in this forum, it seems as if there is a lot of rambling, and long scrambled outpourings, and he thinks we want to hear about his male bits and also about how he giggled and mocked a matron AND how Meghan did this or that... and its all fairly incoherent.
Like that bit about West Abbey, where I suspect he got some input from the ghost writer about all the dead who were buried there, agiain its all fairly rambling stuff.
And re the press etc, I DO think he perhaps does not realise that the Press office and aides DID do a lot of protecting him while he was a working royal and acting like an ass at times. but he wants to beleive that Charles and his staff were saying mean things to blacken Harry's name and buff up Camilla's. Does not seem to think that the Press office is trying to protect and boost the RF as a whole and that while he was a wroking royal they tried to keep his name clean.

I agree that there’s a lot of incoherent rambling, but at the same time, I think he thinks that by revealing such cringeworthy and silly things that (in his mind) takes the embarrassment openly in the book so the media never got a chance to reveal it themselves. He never realizes anything, he’s too insular and childish to look beyond himself and never took the seriously the hard work staff did to make him look good. Plus I stated a few times in threads that I always believed he never took royal life seriously, he simply enjoyed the perks and getting whatever he wanted from his family. He didn’t grow up at all.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Readers react about Harry’s Spare, having read the book.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/13/prince-harry-spare-book-readers-react

What do these list of opinions from Guardian readers prove? This doesn’t benefit Harry’s cause at all. Plus the Guardian and majority of its readers hate the monarchy so......only one person from the opinions actually feels sorry for Harry.

 

[Denville]

I agree that there’s a lot of incoherent rambling, but at the same time, I think he thinks that by revealing such cringeworthy and silly things that (in his mind) takes the embarrassment openly in the book so the media never got a chance to reveal it themselves. He never realizes anything, he’s too insular and childish to look beyond himself and never took the seriously the hard work staff did to make him look good. Plus I stated a few times in threads that I always believed he never took royal life seriously, he simply enjoyed the perks and getting whatever he wanted from his family. He didn’t grow up at all.

I think that if he didn't take royal life seriously, its because he does not take anything seriously.. except perhaps a bit of his army life. Even then, he does not seem to be all that clued up on things and did not want to stick at the career of soldiering unless he could do the exciting bits of being in combat. If you like yes, he didn't take royal life seriously because he is incapable of doing that. He did what he was told but whined about it privately and then came out and told the world openly that he did not like his royal duties. he may have done bits of things that he enjoyed, at times.. but I was rather shocked that he came out with the stuff about how he didn't like helping the Ghurkas, i would have thought that something active would be just about all that appealed to him, and yet he did not even enjoy that or do it with a good heart and a commitment.
I think he did just blunder along doing the various things that were expected of him, at least some of the time.. and did not notice that his press aides were trying their darnedest to make him seem like a good hearted energetic young man who was first in the army and then doing his royal job, and having a laugh as he went along. The truth probably was that there were fits of temper and stormy angry weeping in private and trying to persuade him that he DID have to turn up for X or Y.
I seem to rembmer when he left the army he did do royal duties at times but there were times when he seemed to vanish...

 

[Denville]

What do these list of opinions from Guardian readers prove? This doesn’t benefit Harry’s cause at all. Plus the Guardian and majority of its readers hate the monarchy so......only one person from the opinions actually feels sorry for Harry.

I would guess that the reason they like the book is because it shows the RF in a bad light, and they agree that "Harry's no better than the rest of them.

 

[wartenberg7]

He talked about the smell of this cream that he remembered filling the room, that’s all. I don’t believe that’s weird at all.

really...?! I would even go further and claim it is rather perverse and creepy at the same time, to write about this "experience" in a millionselling book! He must be crazy or totally shameless, perhaps both!

 

[kimebear]

but what about the times that Harry himself was protected by the Palace? He was using drugs and drinking and getting into rows and fights and fighting his own protection officers. did the Palace/Charles leak those stories? I dont think so.

That's why I also said that this:

Or maybe that so many of Harry's youthful shortcomings over the years were ignored by the press at the behest of the "gray men" that he didn't realize just how often it really did happen, so the coverage of Meghan seemed extreme to him.

One thing I’ve read somewhere and I don’t know if it has been mentioned here: the way Harry speaks about a lady journalist (pustule, **** excuse) and about that matron at Ludgrove (mousy, frazzled, hair greasy) versus the (absolutely justified) outrage at the article by Jeremy Clarkson.

I think the book proves that Harry doesn't suffer from an abundance of self-reflection.

 

[shady lady]

Readers react about Harry’s Spare, having read the book.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/13/prince-harry-spare-book-readers-react

For balance, I think it is important to understand that here in the UK the Guardian newspaper is considered to be anti-monarchist; they are just using the book to promote their own agenda. Note the title of the article linked is "The Monarchy's a laughing stock". Likely away from the headlines and behind the scenes they are probably having a good laugh about the questionable wisdom of writing about frostbitten todgers and horsy encounters in fields behind pubs and so forth.

They are not really interested in defending Harry; they're using him to try and get his family abolished.

 

[shady lady]

really...?! I would even go further and claim it is rather perverse and creepy at the same time, to write about this "experience" in a millionselling book! He must be crazy or totally shameless, perhaps both!

That and being willing to do just about anything that will make him a shedload of money regardless of the hurt it is causing to his family and, ultimately, to himself.

 

[Curbside]

CMIIW, but didn't H&M say that they don't read stuff about themselves on the internet in their engagement interview? So that was a lie too then?

This is easily verified by a simple search. In fact, Meghan says she doesn’t read her own press. Harry is the one who reads the press.

 

[dianadebraga]

Hi, are there comments in harry's book about Charles' 50th birthday party? It was said he and william got drunken there....

 

[Curbside]

I can't imagine why Harry and Meghan would want to go to The Coronation. It would make the reception and family interactions they had at The Jubilee seem like a love fest.
And Meghan if is sooooo dismissive of the grandeur and symbolism of "The Trooping The Colour Ceremony", what would she make of the significance and "resplendence" of The Coronation Services ?

According to Harry's Book at The Trooping The Colour, Kate politely asked Meghan what She thought of it, it was her first in 2018. Meghan flippantly said, "Its colorful". Harry say the the silence threatened to "swallow us all whole".

I would say that encapsulates for me Meghan's rudeness and abrasive personality that William so rightly called her out for. I would have added insulting too.

Zero respect. The more I read about Meghan in Harry's OWN Book, the more difficult She appears to me.

This is neither rude nor abrasive. This is an American with little experience with royal life, with no preconceptions about how she should feel about it.

I’m curious about what Harry thinks of Thanksgiving and Independence Day celebrations.

I would hope that the children would be more embarrassed by finding that thier father laughed at a middle aged plain woman and mocked her for her disability, and that it was soemthing he was still laughing about 20 years after he first did this. Its a bit embarrassing to find out that your father had a sex life and went to bed with a woman when he was a young lad, but it is part of life..

If it were one of my parents, I’d think it was amusing.

 

[Denville]

If it were one of my parents, I’d think it was amusing.

what woudl you find amusing? that a parent was laughing still as a 38 year old man about a teacher he knew years ago who was disalbled. Or because a parent had sex for the first time?

 

[Curbside]

One thing I’ve read somewhere and I don’t know if it has been mentioned here: the way Harry speaks about a lady journalist (pustule, **** excuse) and about that matron at Ludgrove (mousy, frazzled, hair greasy) versus the (absolutely justified) outrage at the article by Jeremy Clarkson.

The journalist is Rebekah Brooks, who presented Charles with evidence of Harry’s drug use. They apparently traded this story into a positive spin for Charles, who became in the press a harried single dad looking to save his drug addled son.

Rebekah Brooks the took a photo of Harry visiting a rehab center as part of his charity work, and repurposed it in a story that Harry had gone to rehab.

 

[Curbside]

what woudl you find amusing? that a parent was laughing still as a 38 year old man about a teacher he knew years ago who was disalbled. Or because a parent had sex for the first time?

The laughing at the disabled teacher I don’t recall reading. I can’t comment on it. But to know my dad had an awkward “first time” experience…I would find that amusing.

 

[Curbside]

I don't think its that.I think he just rambles on, thinks that because he is so wonderful and was liked for a time, that the world adores him and wants to hear everything that is of importance to him like the condition of his manhood.
I think he feels that whenever he gets some evidence that he's NOT tat popular like a story in a paper that seems to put him down, its the EVIL PRESS nad HIs EVIL FAMILY breifing them against him to make themselves look better.

The record book sales are a decent indicator of Harry’s popularity.

He does not characterize his family as evil, not at all. He does find Camilla to be dangerous and he hates the tabloid press. Is there some reason he shouldn’t?

 

[kimebear]

The laughing at the disabled teacher I don’t recall reading. I can’t comment on it. But to know my dad had an awkward “first time” experience…I would find that amusing.

Nothing much astonishes me, but the last thing I would want to hear about my father was him getting his a*** smacked in a field in the back of a pub during sex or that he used his mother's favorite lotion to soothe his frostbitten todger. I suspect that the adult Lilibet will feel the same.

 

[A Tudor]

The record book sales are a decent indicator of Harry’s popularity.

He does not characterize his family as evil, not at all. He does find Camilla to be dangerous and he hates the tabloid press. Is there some reason he shouldn’t?

I respectfully disagree.


Book sales indicates people are interested, period. People can be interested in many things, good or bad. Sometimes it's just like watching a car crash, paying attention does not means approval.

 

[_Heather_]

Oh my. I've just read the excerpt containing the details of Meghan's first Trooping the Colour experience. It appears that she simply doesn't know when to stop with the "quips" and struggles to "read the room" and the atmosphere. Harry writes that the mood was lively until Catherine asked Meghan what she'd thought of the first parade of regimental colors and Meghan quipped "colorful." He states that the silence was deafening. It certainly sounds to me from this story that she must have said "colorful" in a snarky or sarcastic tone and didn't seem to grasp the importance of such displays and traditions. I don't think it's at all a stretch to say that she likely didn't understand what was going on or why it was so important or even what she was supposed to be enjoying about it but when everyone around you clearly does grasp this and someone politely inquires what you thought of it the appropriate response would be something along the lines of "it was lovely" or even "I'm not entirely sure I understand the significance of the colors/flags/emblems (whatever the case may be) but I'd love to learn more about it" or even a polite "it was all very interesting, I'd love to know the history behind it." A snide and snarky "colorful" just seems so entirely rude and out of place.

This is neither rude nor abrasive. This is an American with little experience with royal life, with no preconceptions about how she should feel about it.

I’m curious about what Harry thinks of Thanksgiving and Independence Day celebrations.

It is rude. And it's abrasive. And it's an abject failure to read the room. There were a million different polite ways to respond to this, including those I've stated above. And while I doubt very much that Harry would or could come up with a polite way to respond when asked for his thoughts about Thanksgiving or Independence Day, I'd certainly like to think that he might try to be a bit less dismissive and a bit more respectful about a tradition he might not fully understand. Again, given what we all know of him now I'd be willing to bet money he'd be as rude and dismissive as she was but either way, it could have and should have been handled much more respectfully.

 

[Granada]

Curbside, you might NOT find comedian Meghan's flippant remark about The Trooping The Colour, "its COLORFUL" rude or abrasive, BUT according to Harry it literally sucked all the air out of the room.
Kate AND whoever else heard it, took the comment as was intended, a cheap diss. RUDE.

Meghan is *supposedly* an intelligent, well educated and traveled woman of the world. Her two College degrees were in Theater AND International Relations. Did a stint as a UN Ambassador.

She isn't some high school dropout hick from some backwater 'nowhereville'.

Why not be gracious and say something "kind" ? I thought kindness and compassion were her mantras ?
How lovely, amazing and special it was. Could have even said how honored She was to have a front role seat.

I guess "Spectacles" as she dismissively called her own Public Wedding, are interesting only if they are about her.....

Funny enough too, Harry says in the book that He and Meghan wanted the much grander Westminster Abbey (number one Royal Venue) as the site for their Wedding. Over second string St George's Chapel.
And I still believe Meghan knew and researched Harry and The Royal Family much more than she would ever admit too.
I also firmly believe that She reads her press relentlessly.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

The record book sales are a decent indicator of Harry’s popularity.

He does not characterize his family as evil, not at all. He does find Camilla to be dangerous and he hates the tabloid press. Is there some reason he shouldn’t?

I wonder if it’s a compliment (sic) to say that someone is dangerous. What has Camilla done to him of late? Camilla has her own life and is not involved in Harry’s business so why comment on her? The record sales just indicate that people are interested in gossip about the BRF as many have been for years. I don’t see how the cringeworthy contents about being rude to staff, rude to a physically disabled matron, physically abusive to security personnel, talking about genitalia time and time again (gross), etc. makes him look good or whatever but maybe people see things I can’t (sic). The negative tabloid coverage is not unique to Harry is the point because many family members have gotten bad press and some of the negative headlines he got were self-inflicted so he partially has himself to blame. Charles doesn’t love the media and not does Camilla, but they manage to be on their best behavior.

 

[Sunnystar]

The laughing at the disabled teacher I don’t recall reading. I can’t comment on it. But to know my dad had an awkward “first time” experience…I would find that amusing.

Well, clearly you chose to skim over the parts that you didn't want to read because there's no defense of St Harry that exists for mocking a plain, unhealthy/disabled matron at school. Though I'm sure you could find one. Go back and re-read Part 1. It's there and it's not flattering. There's nothing in the passage that casts Harry on a good light, even as a grown adult 25 years on.

 

[Curbside]

Curbside, you might NOT find comedian Meghan's flippant remark about The Trooping The Colour, "its COLORFUL" rude or abrasive, BUT according to Harry it literally sucked all the air out of the room.
Kate AND whoever else heard it, took the comment as was intended, a cheap diss. RUDE.

Meghan is *supposedly* an intelligent, well educated and traveled woman of the world. Her two College degrees were in Theater AND International Relations. Did a stint as a UN Ambassador.

She isn't some high school dropout hick from some backwater nowhereville.
Why not be gracious and say something "kind" ? How lovely, amazing and special it was. Could have even said how honored She was to have a front role seat.

I guess "Spectacles" as she dismissively called her own Public Wedding, are interesting if they are about her.....

Rudeness suggests some intent. I don’t think Meghan had any idea what it meant to a couple of Brits. I myself don’t get it.

 

[Curbside]

Well, clearly you chose to skim over the parts that you didn't want to read because there's no defense of St Harry that exists for mocking a plain, unhealthy/disabled matron at school. Though I'm sure you could find one. Go back and re-read Part 1. It's there and it's not flattering. There's nothing in the passage that casts Harry on a good light, even as a grown adult 25 years on.

No, I listened to the Audible. My hard cover book arrives today.

 

[Curbside]

Curbside, you might NOT find comedian Meghan's flippant remark about The Trooping The Colour, "its COLORFUL" rude or abrasive, BUT according to Harry it literally sucked all the air out of the room.
Kate AND whoever else heard it, took the comment as was intended, a cheap diss. RUDE.

Meghan is *supposedly* an intelligent, well educated and traveled woman of the world. Her two College degrees were in Theater AND International Relations. Did a stint as a UN Ambassador.

She isn't some high school dropout hick from some backwater 'nowhereville'.

Why not be gracious and say something "kind" ? I thought kindness and compassion were her mantras ?
How lovely, amazing and special it was. Could have even said how honored She was to have a front role seat.

I guess "Spectacles" as she dismissively called her own Public Wedding, are interesting only if they are about her.....

Funny enough too, Harry says in the book that He and Meghan wanted Westminster Abbey (number one Royal Venue) as the site for their Wedding.
And I still believe Meghan knew and researched Harry and The Royal Family much more than she would ever admit too.
I also firmly believe that She reads her press relentlessly.

We don’t know what Meghan thought of the different venues, but my recollection is that this was a conversation between Harry and Willy only.

 

[Lilyflo]

Rudeness suggests some intent. I don’t think Meghan had any idea what it meant to a couple of Brits. I myself don’t get it.

I'm English and I have no idea why replying "Colourful" resulted in silence. If anything, it was rude of the others not to follow up with "Which bit did you like best?" or something else to draw the newcomer into the conversation.

 

[Curryong]

I’m English-born and I had the same reaction. What’s so dreadfully shocking and disrespectful about describing the Trooping as ‘colourful’?

 

[tihkon2]

Anything Harry ever says or writes ever again is suspect as far as I am concerned. If you have to write a paragraph in your own biography that your own recollections don't have to be based in fact or reality, you are ridiculous and shows you have no sense. This position is indefensible and about the most stupid thing I have ever heard. I cannot believe anyone falls for this.