Prince Harry has officially dropped his now-much-controversial memoir, Spare. But aside from the interesting revelations to surprising confrontations, among many other explosives, the book's title still puzzles many.
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The book's title is quite telling—Spare, which probably refers to his position in the royal family. But aside from being the monarchy's spare heir, Prince Harry has put a deeper meaning to the phrase "heir and the spare" by revealing what it's really like to be a spare behind the glamorous and magnificent royal family life.
Spare
It was in July 2021 when the Duke of Sussex announced he was working on a memoir, dubbed as a "wholly truthful book," under the publication Penguin Random House.
"I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," he said in a statement. "I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think."
After over a year, he finally revealed the tome's release date and official title, Spare, which raised the eyebrows of many and piqued the curiosity of some.
The phrase "the heir and the spare" quickly comes to mind after seeing the book's title, referring to his position in the royal line of succession.
He's now the fifth in line to the throne, following Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September and the succession of his father, becoming King Charles III.
Prince William is now the heir apparent, followed by his three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The Deeper Meaning of Spare
However, the title Spare seems to have a deeper meaning than what it really means.
"Spare takes readers immediately back to 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," Penguin Random House described the book in a press release in October 2022.
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"As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on," it continued. "A landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief."
Alternatively, the book's cover shows Prince Harry's full face, hinting that the prince who once clamored for privacy is now ready to tell his story to the world—confident and telling.
Embracing Being a Spare
Prince Harry seems to have fully embraced being a spare—or so did he?
He bravely talks about things no one dares to talk about, the hierarchy at the heart of the monarchy. The system just shows that by the accident of birth, some luckily become the heirs while others happen to be the spares.
It highlights the fact that their positions in life are already determined even before they are born, and whatever views people have of Prince Harry, it can't be denied that Spare has made them interested to see his life and the revelations that he did.
"As history has shown, the British monarchy is anything but predictable," royal expert Victoria Arbiter told CNN in 2016. "Never underestimate the long-lasting potential of a royal 'spare'."
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