Spare by Prince Harry - A Review




        I admit that like a good majority of the population, I've been looking forward to reading this book since it was announced, I even pre-ordered it. I've had a mild interest in the Royal Family since I was young, greatly influenced by my grandmother's love for Princess Diana. Of course my interest in Princess Diana spilled over to her two sons, though I have to admit that I never saw the attraction in William that most saw. To me, Harry always seemed most like Diana, whereas William seemed more like Charles, colder and arrogant. Of course, that's merely my personal opinion. All that to say, after everything that has happened with Harry and the Royal Family, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book.  
        Spare starts off a bit clunky and slow, but eventually it finds its stride and has more flow to it. The book approaches "the beginning" in a different way than most memoirs do, so much so that it takes a hot minute to find the thread and purpose of including certain thoughts and events. The writing and what Harry chooses to include seems scattered and random in the first part of the book, but once the book hits its stride, the reader realizes that the parts that seemed random and inconsequential at first are actually included for a reason, they all fit together to illustrate a bigger theme throughout the book. 
        The book is split into three parts, each part with a picture and a line from the Invictus poem by William Ernest Henley to accompany it. Walking through the story of Harry's life, you realize that Harry leaving the Royal Family has been a long time coming, almost destiny, the seed having been planted and fertilized since Harry was a child. He had a front row seat view of what the Establishment and the press did to his mother, Princess Diana, as well as dealing with it himself. One particularly moving passage in this book was when Harry shares the moment he realizes that his mother died seeing camera flashes. 
        Harry essentially takes the reader on his journey to grief, self-exploration, healing, and freedom. Through reading never before known conversations and incidents, the readers (and the public) are just now beginning to grasp just how toxic an environment Harry and the rest of the Royals live in, and we learn that the events leading to Harry and Meghan leaving the Royal Establishment were much worse than originally thought. Why anyone would think that what Harry and Meghan did and asked for was selfish and unreasonable is beyond me. I can only assume that the public vitriol is coming from brainwashed people who blindly lap up anything the Royal Establishment gives them. Ultimately, Harry did for Meghan what he couldn't do for his mother. He's protecting his family and himself... Finally. 
        Overall, Spare was an interesting read that gives us a better understanding of Harry as a person, as well as a better understanding of what lead to his split with the Royal Establishment. Harry is truly Diana's son, reading this book further proves that assessment. *I will say as a note, the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which was released in December of 2022, is an excellent companion to this book and really helps to make the whole story and experience complete.*

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