There was some speculation that after Queen Elizabeth’s death, Prince Harry would amend his forthcoming memoir to soften some of his more bombshell-y claims for the sake of the monarchy’s reputation. However, his decision title it Spare has some people convinced that, if anything, the Duke of Sussex is going in the opposite direction. And already royal experts are bracing for the backlash by royal decree.
The one word title Spare is clearly meant as in “an heir and a spare.” As the younger son, Prince Harry is the “spare” to Prince William’s “heir,” which puts him in a complicated position, royally speaking. Imagine growing up in an environment where you being second most important is a matter of official policy. Imagine if the whole world knows you by the slightly derogatory nickname picked out for you by some royal-adjacent guy in the middle ages. You see why this title is already shady?
DAVID ROSE/Getty Images
One royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, told the Daily Mail, “The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive.” Publicity expert Mark Borkowski said, “the damage to the royal family will be great.” Borkowski also echoed royals journalist Katie Nicholl’s prediction that King Charles might even go so far as to strip Harry and Meghan Markle of their Duke and Duchess titles if he feels they are damaging the crown’s image.
Nicholl has also reported in Vanity Fair that some palace insiders believe that the future of Harry and Meghan’s children’s titles would depend on whether the memoir was published—and what is in it.
We’ll have to wait until January 10 to find out if Spare follows through on its juicy title and spares any details.
