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At a glance
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Dimensions
- 6.13 x 1.03 x 9.25 in
- Weight
- 1.55 lb
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publication date
- January 10, 2023
- Edition
- First US Edition
- Language
- English, English
Description
1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, courage, and healing. “Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir.”—The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year) 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. Read more
Specs 9
| Publisher | Random House |
|---|---|
| Publication date | January 10, 2023 |
| Edition | First US Edition |
| Language | English, English |
| Print length | 416 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0593593804 |
| ISBN-13 | 06 |
| Item Weight | 1.55 pounds |
| Dimensions | 6.13 x 1.03 x 9.25 inches |
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Top Amazon Reviews
Sad, Whimsical, Dark, Comedic, Introspective…words cannot describe you just have to read it
Format: Kindle
I don’t really read these kinds of books. I’m addicted to sci fi and historical romance and intake most my gossip/nonfiction news from social media mediums and independent research (Tik Tok and Twitter). I don’t think I’ve ever read a biography, autobiography, or memoir outside of an educational setting. I picked this up just bc I was interested in all the weird excerpts the media put all over headlines in the days leading up. I’m also a big supporter of evaluating primary sources first-hand as my liberal arts bachelors degree taught me before I form opinions. I expected a celebrity tell-all gossip piece.. BUT, this piece took my breath away. I read it in one night and went through so many emotions. I had to put it down multiple times to laugh, cry, and self reflect. Well-done to Harry taking the hard step to be vulnerable to the world in his own way and taking control of his narrative and his writer is absolutely so talented. The writer is so magnificent, I cannot say it enough. This book is going to be analyzed in classrooms, positively, negatively, analytically one day as it touches on coming-of age, literature and motifs, the most recent war, and a love story and a social and political discourse on British press and its relationship with the Palace. People are going to be talking about this book for ages and as Meghan and Harry seem to be really polarizing to some. I recommend anyone supporter or not, British or American, read this book first and form your own opinions. Clear your mind of the bias from what you know of Harry from the press and media and read it about a story of a boy growing into a man. It’s really quite good when you look past you’re own biases. Harry’s really grown when it comes to his own biases and privilege and this book really explores that growth in a first person POV that also causes to reader to take a step back and evaluate themselves but I do think he needs to sit on his support of a Monarchy a bit more lol…it was nice as an American to understand British culture a bit more though and I feel like I was able to put myself in the other Royals shoes and humanize them as well! Since Meghan and Harry are the only ones who we’ve been able to authentically hear from as of late. I know a lot of people will speak on his chapters of his experiences in the war negatively, and to be honest. I wasn’t expecting that kind of candor and rawness and it resonated with me but in a introspectively beneficial way..as someone who is currently in the neo-stage of their military officer career (I only joined because I wanted to be a leader and get college paid but I’ve been more introspective on leadership and military more lately) I had to take military history classes when I was in college, I read many textbooks and memories who recount experiences similar to his from the civil war, Vietnam and WW1/2 perspective and we analyzed them relentlessly…but I haven’t seen a lot of memoirs from veterans from the War on Terror or from non-Americans. With the peacetime the U.S. is in I guess I doubt I’ll be serving long enough to ever experience the trauma he went through and it helps me understand the PTSD of modern soldiers and those veteran NCOs I work with. That section made me really introspective about the military and the way we’re trained and the discourse around the ethics of it even though his military experience is from a different country. (Side note this really helped me realize how important OPSEC is lol I literally screamed OPSEC at the book at one point). I enjoy the way he recounted his childhood and his relationship with his family. It was very tactful and well-written and I think every comment that a tabloid has pulled as “offensive” out of context was balanced out throughout the book as we really delved into the nuances of family and our childhoods. The people he mentions in this book are not just characters and celebrities in a show or tabloid but real people who are multifaceted and there is no antagonist and protagonist in real life. He also kept it spicy with the funny TMI moments about his social life and ~extracurricular~ activities. The random celebrity name drops were hilarious to me with his sarcastic tone and obviously not ill-mannered or narcissistic as I saw some implied. I think that was the perfect amount of comedy and tiny factoids that are ultimately harmless and affect no one except entertain the reader. I’m a very TMI person and the way he exposed embarrassing moments is the way I talk to my inner circle of friends and I felt like I was listening to a friend tell me a story on girls night. I saw on Twitter people were offended by the TMI but let’s be honest, if he hadn’t left in the spicy/funny comments people would have just said his memoir is boring and a waste of money and money-seeking. I’m sure there are plenty of other TMI details of his life that are private and he did not share. Everything he shared that people called “TMI” is inconsequential to the audience and only there to entertain comedic relief amongst the other dark themes in this book. This probably went through hella reviews and many consultations to make sure it wasn’t too out there. I could ramble forever about this book…I wanna join like a book club or reddit to discuss it. This is truly one of my favorite reads in like the last ten years. I may have separate opinions about the Harry v. the Monarchy discourse but I just want to endorse the book is SUCH a good read anyways for those on edge.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2023 by Kailyn
Way better than I ever expected!
Format: Kindle
Like most people I had seen all the trash spread about Harry and especially Meghan. I have zero respect for tabloids and any media that harasses and lies. I had seen the interview with Oprah and when I saw that Harry had written a book, I decided to see what he had to say. I felt like I was sitting with him listening to him basically tell his life story. I loved the conversational tone and the authentic and frank way he presented events (even the ones that showed him making mistakes) and the depth of his emotions and the struggle he had for pretty much his whole life. The restrictive nature of the life of a royal was suffocating. I felt that Harry's biggest fight (besides coming to grips with the tragedy of his mother's death) was that he refused to give up being a free and independent person. No matter how he tried to conform, his desire for individual freedom fought back. His mother did the same thing. It really showed how the others bowed to their perceived duty and station and accepted that they would have no freedom to be themselves. They were actors in a play that had been going on for centuries. The fact that Harry and William never received much needed counseling after their mother's death was such strong evidence of this. Two young boys had lost their mother in a tragic and questionable car wreck, and yet they were expected to just carry on. I had the distinct impression that counseling would have not been acceptable for the family image. And the treachery that was woven throughout the story (and Harry's life) with the family's relationship with the abusive media is cruel and absolutely disgusting in every way. Harry and Meghan's love and their desire to be themselves and to do good things in the world was/is strong enough to let them break free from this imprisonment and torture. I found this whole book interesting in every way. It's very emotional, very real and authentic, very sad and revealing about the superficial chains that turn individuals away from who they really are and make them prisoners to an image that becomes the dominate force in everything they think and do. Harry's description of his struggles was real. It was the description of the kind of emotional agony (even though the circumstances differ) of so many people who struggle in life to break free of the burdens they carry that prevent them from moving on. I also appreciated how he didn't condemn family members with whom he had conflicts. He actually presented them in such a way to show that they suffered, too, but were unwilling to face their struggles out of fear of tarnishing the royal image. For all those young ones who dream of being a princess or prince, the reality is obviously vastly different from the illusion. I stayed up way too late several nights because I couldn't put this book down. I love it when someone writes their own story in such an authentic way.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2023 by AKCarol
An interesting window into the life and mind of Prince Harry
Format: Kindle
Oh boy. To its credit, this book felt interesting, and honest, and it wasn’t too hard to get through it. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested, especially if you find psychology and social behaviors interesting. The book does elicit disbelief— as a reader, reading only tidbits the author provides and seeing things the author is not seeing. It makes you wanna just kind of shake him a little, like, hey, how are you not seeing this?? Especially in the latter part of the book where Meg comes in. A couple of examples: 1. Harry shows endless empathy for Meg’s experience with the newfound paparazzi-stalking. However, there is no empathy for her father’s plight with it. He describes how her father isn’t doing that well; he lives in a run down house in Mexico and is in poor health. While it wasn’t a noble idea to stage pap pics…maybe he needed the money? Whatever he decided to do, he had his existing problems plus the enormous stress of his daughter marrying on a world stage. There didn’t seem to be any consideration for this or even curiosity to understand. Just anger that he did this. He apologized (or stated regret) and then had a heart attack and couldn’t attend the wedding. With no empathy, the father was written about with anger, glossing over the heart attack like it was one of the bad things he did to them. Nice. 2. Staying on the father a bit longer, the father again did something pretty awful— selling the letter Meg wrote to the papers. This is sinister, and who knows what transpired between them (the relationship seems messy and contentious), and this was the moment for Harry that he was done. Harry, do you not see the irony?? It screams out. He sold out his relationship with his daughter for a quick buck, or maybe for public opinion, or whatever it was— exactly what you have been doing to your own family ever since you got with Meg. That’s what this very book is. 3. Harry heavily romanticizes people, especially those that are gone (Henners, Diana). He almost confronts this dissonance in some memories of his mother but struggles to do so. This tendency to idealize helped provide some color for why he doesn’t see anything wrong with Meg’s behavior. 4. On Meg’s behavior. I’m American, know nothing of British customs, and believe in holding onto your individuality. But it’s common adaptive social behavior to be receptive to the behaviors and norms around you, especially when joining a new social group. if you are going to approach the Royal Family barefoot, talking hormones, just, sauntering boldly along without trying to pick up on the family’s customs or comforts… that’s not likable, even if it weren’t the Royal Family, it just seems disrespectful — despite Harry’s attempts to convince us it was fine. 5. From his recollection, it seemed she didn’t really react to learning about these culture clashes with any sort of curiosity or desire to mend fences, if anything, in the sibling ‘summits’ she comes off as defensive and a little incredulous/condescending that others aren’t the way she is. 6. Other red flags go up, like, why was the crown lady so fiery mad, why were so many staff complaining? This was not the paparazzi taking stories and running with it, this was coming from inside the house. Are we to believe that the future King (Will) is so impressionable by the narrative spun by the paper that he has been convinced of a problem when none exists? Highly, highly doubtful. 7. They’re authors of their own misfortune. They completely ignored any advice on how to deal with the paparazzi or the headlines, from people who have spent many years navigating this well-known threat. Harry’s account shows how they got all worked up at every turn and made it ALL consuming, which is pretty much the exact opposite advice that was given to them. The headlines! How their family responds or doesn’t respond! How wrong it is, how unfair, how it’s worse than what happened to others, etc etc, their grievances go on and on, escalating constantly. It’s not a healthy way to cope. I can’t imagine how challenging it was to go through what they did, and yes it was huge, but there had to be better ways to cope. They maximized the damage by obsessing. Rather than sheltering from the storm, they faced it head on, fighting it, demanding legal recourse, feeding the all-consuming fire, threatening relationships with all who supported him if they didn’t agree with him. How THEY handled this known threat is what did them in. I got all this from Harry’s account of events, even though his account lacked accountability. 8. The final leg of the book (last ~10% on Kindle) It is actually hard to read how royally (pun intended) Harry flubbed the handling of the immense stress every step of the way. He was emotionally charged, self-righteous, and threw his family’s trust into the line of fire, blind to his own doings and perhaps whatever impact his wife had on his behavior. All this is blatantly obvious, even through whatever author’s bias exists. I don’t think he sees it, so it’s interesting as a reader. I really should stop now. It’s a fascinating read, especially if you have a curiosity of the human mind, and it’s clear that everyone involved (with the exception of the Queen) behaves pettily at times. It is quite sad what’s happened within the family, but Harry seems to have yet to come to terms with his rebellious anger, reckless, disrespectful, and immature choices that have led him to this distanced, estranged life they lead today. Sure, his wife wasn’t a good fit for the family, perhaps is a little self-righteous and maybe, in ways, toxic? And yes, the press should be locked up. Still, Haz needs to understand his role and take accountability for how he interacts with and influences his environment and outcomes. For those interested in psychology, his therapist suggested he is likely stuck at age 12, and having finished the book, this seems very likely. In some aspects he still sees the world through the lens of a child, not fully understanding how systems interact and throwing a tantrum when things are not viewed solely from his vantage point. It’s clear to see how he romanticized his mom, lost her in a tragic, traumatic way, and violently expresses his anger at this in how he reacts and handles the press…. in how he would throw his whole family to the wolves for this cause, as if it’s life or death, because for him, and I think for the rest of his life, he will view it this way. It’s like he’s acting out saving his mom’s life in an unconscious way with Meg. It’s sad, isn’t it, at the end of the day he’s not a villain. When all is said and done, I can’t help but wish him the best and hope he finds his way. 8/10. Good read. Mildly infuriating, but honest.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024 by Melanie B
Sad, Funny, Tragic, Surreal, Visceral, Insightful, Intelligent and Loving
Format: Kindle
First off, I will say that I have always been a big supporter of Harry, first, & then Meghan. So, I go into reading this book with loving interest and a positive outlook. I trusted that he would actually tell us the truth (as he experienced it) with no sugar coating. And I thank him for successfully doing just that. I did not know anything about his military service and found that highly intriguing to read about. I cannot imagine being a pilot of a helicopter much less an Apache helicopter in wartime. Very impressive. Think about what it takes to do that - not something every man or woman can learn to do. I didn't know about his adventures in Africa and other countries. Those stories were really fun to read. I'm so glad this book was not just about his family and the 'Royal' part of his life. Yes, he did put things in the book about that, of course. But it was way more than just royal stuff, which really (to me) told us the story of who Harry truly is. Naturally he discussed his mother. I'm an old lady & can remember all that Diana went through as she was going through it in front of the world. I was shocked about her death, as we all were. The thing I did not know about was that Harry did not believe his mother to be dead. He thought she was in hiding. It broke my heart to pieces to learn about this fact. And now that I have read what his thinking was at the time - I fully understand why he would believe that, and to this day nobody really got any evidence or proof of her demise to show to Harry or William. It still seems really odd. The whole thing. It's very important when you lose somebody close to you that you are able to view the body. I guess that is not a royal or British custom. However, in reading books on Thanatology after my husband died, all grief therapists usually agree that seeing the deceased person is very important. Otherwise, you find yourself constantly searching the faces in a crowd or wondering if maybe they somehow, they slipped away and are living somewhere else. I know, because that's how I felt when I didn't know that viewing his body was actually healthier than not. It helps you face reality. Then you can heal. I knew that Harry would no doubt mention the Paparazzi and the Tabloids. Little did I know how really horrible it has been. The way he explained it made me feel claustrophobic and so downtrodden. And I was just reading it - not experiencing it. I got very angry about how the British people not only allowed this; but fed off of it. How his own father and brother felt like it was just something you have to accept, rather than standing up (like a man) and saying 'NO, this will not be tolerated'. And with that, I learned that Queens and Kings, who I thought are heads of state and run the country - are not. They are nothing more than props. They have no power. And if they have any - they don't seem to use it in the right way. Why is that? And this so called 'Institution' or gang of courtiers/assistants etc. - who are they? It seems like they are all running everything there in the palace or Balmoral or wherever. Not the Queen or King. Not the Prime Minister or Parliament. Just common, everyday people working for the royal family appear to be the bosses. The Queen had to 'obey' them. Now King Charles has to as well. What? That's crazy. What is the point of having a Monarchy if it's just all pretend, and the royalty has no power? I am keeping my fingers crossed that when enough people read this book that they will stop looking at Meghan in a negative light. My Gosh. Harry loves her and his children. She loves him. Let this couple live in peace. Stop saying nasty things about them and out and out lies. Who does that benefit? Let the tabloids go back to their headlines about alien abductions and 3 headed babies, etc. If the Brits don't want Harry & Meghan then I hope they live here in the US for the rest of their lives. They don't need a country who has stomped all over them & squished them down in the mud. Shame on you if you're one of those who has been a party to that. This book is a real eye opener. I think after all he and his Mom went through with being betrayed by people that are supposed to love them - but don't - that he deserves to tell this story in his own way. To not only clear somethings up - but to share with us very interesting parts of his life. I hope after a few more decades he'll write an updated memoir too. Because I'm sure he is going to do great things with his life. He is not perfect. But neither is anybody else. As human beings we need to remember that.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2023 by Sophie Shopper
Beautifully Written
Format: Hardcover
I'm a 35 year old American and all I knew of the Royal family before Meghan married Harry was that my parents were sad when Diana died and that the grocery store checkout magazines always had headlines about them. I was kind of drawn in and charmed by the idea of them accepting Meghan and how pretty and warm she always looked (I remember sending a picture of her in a pale pink dress with a matching jacket when she was pregnant with her son to my group chat with a note about how oh my God she is the most gorgeous human ever) and it made me sad and angry when like...all of the media over there seemed to hate her all of a sudden. But even though I felt bad for her I never had strong feelings about Harry, he was just kinda there. Now? I freaking love Harry. Harry and Meghan fan for life. LIFE. I am shell-shocked at how freaking real and good this book is. I saw so many headlines leading up to the release that made the book sound like a (super fun tbh) mean and petty silly little airing of grievances. And instead it's this incredibly thoughtful, fair, raw depiction of both his family and his life. It kind of blows my mind the royals were so short sighted they willingly gave up what appears to be the only one among them with an ounce of emotional intelligence. He and Meghan are both so sincerely self-deprecating and open and honest and they contrast so dramatically against his family. The rest of them seem so stilted and fake and political and sneaky in comparison. How honest he is about his insecurities and ambitions and hopes and dreams and embarrassments is kind of stunning. Openly acknowledging what is complicated about England's history. Confessing freely to his own limitations in so many ways like Eminem in the battle scene in 8 Mile is ridiculous but kind of effective?! Like....he isn't pretending not to be upset about being thought stupid, about being a spare, about being single, about so many things. He's human and it hurt and I respect him for not doing the pretending to be unbothered thing. Also, he is insanely fair to his family. Far more than they seem to deserve!. He is so freaking kind to them. Going out of his way to defend Kate and Will from tabloid gossip and repeatedly explain why things that were said about them or done to them were unfair and untrue. He acknowledges being emotionally unavailable, even to his brother who would want to discuss their mother at times. He even defends his dad's reasoning on so many things and makes him seem bumbling and ineffectual rather than like the indifferently cruel and disinterested father he seemed like he must be before. Reading this book is the closest I have ever come to having any sympathy at all for the rest of the Royal family. They just seemed like cold selfish remote awful little rich people before but Harry's book makes them seem more human and likable and normal. Like people who if they hadn't been born to this might have actually stood a chance of being halfway decent but they were born into this and now they've just leaned into being unbearable cartoon villains for forever. The description of the bee, the fly, and the wasp? How he used to grocery shop? Such good writing. And him being painfully honest about him having mom issues and looking for mother figures and wanting to make people laugh and looking for signs in things. I know they're being mean about it in some headlines and I don't believe in signs or astrology or psychics or whatever myself but I know a lot of people who do. I think it's kind of normal and human after a big and unexpected loss. My friend lost her 12 year old son to an asthma attack that stopped his heart and she is constantly on the hunt for "signs". Connections, coincidences, messages. He's even fair about his mom. You can tell he knows he kind of puts her on a pedestal but he acknowledges she was imperfect, especially when he talks about her insecurity over them loving their nanny. I think the main takeaway from the book for me is how sad I feel for him. Because he seems to love everyone in his family for who they are. He sees them clearly, their flaws and weaknesses and strengths, and loves them. And you can just tell it wasn't ever reciprocated. Because none of them seem capable of loving him back. "How lost we are, I thought. How far we’ve strayed. How much damage has been done to our love, our bond, and why? All because a dreadful mob of dweebs and crones and cut-rate criminals and clinically diagnosable sadists along Fleet Street feel the need to get their jollies and plump their profits—and work out their personal issues—by tormenting one very large, very ancient, very dysfunctional family." Anyway, it is a really good book. I really enjoyed it, read it super fast, and highly recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023 by Amanda
A review
Despite all speculations, they had raised a perfect spare. I could elaborate on this but I'll leave it to interpretations. It says more words required: I like how modern and relevant it is. I think he is uniting people through this book, especially youth of current generations, though I can imagine it causes separations within their internal structure. There are many things I like about this book. I cracked up laughing so many times, HRH is truly funny. I like his honesty, I like his simplistic outlook in life and I too believe that is how it should be. A view I discovered and nurtured also through psychadellics and while traveling through off grid parts of the world. To my disappointment it seemed that the world is not ready for it and I was feeling a bit down, but this book really lifted me up and refound hopes though I think it's important to always be aware of the so called "real things" in life. I wish that wasn't necessary, but in my many years of trying it's unavoidable. I truly respect and admire him to be able to hold on to it longer and I hope that it never dies out and the world becomes a place where that would be the new status quo. I certainly doubt it could be reached at a global level in our lifetime, but the most recent conclusive view I had developed was that at least you can find and achieve it, and if everyone does that then we're really there. I guess I'm too much a coward to fight the world for it, because I had been since I was 15 and it's been brutal hurtful and lonely. I'm hurt and not selfless enough, and happy to find it for my own. My realization is that if just everybody find their happy place, then we will all be happy. Let the man be, and let them not be corrupt. God bless us all.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2026 by Ye-Won Cho
"Ah well, I told myself, that’s just the deal, isn’t it? That’s life."
Format: Kindle
This was an extremely well written page-turner. The style of writing and the passion behind every portion was palpable. While Harry talks about a language barrier causing a fight with his American girlfriend (at the time), the language barrier did not seem to be an issue for this American reader. I found it interesting the consistent negative connotation assigned to Americans throughout the book. As an American, these were hard to read and almost anger inducing. With Prince Harry living in America, his wife being from America, and choosing to raise his children in America, I would have hoped for a better relationship there. Trauma, lack of support, and immaturity seeped from the pages. I found myself, as a reader, pulled through many emotional reactions in response to these obviously deep wounds. "Who had the time to worry about things so unchangeable? Who could bother with being bothered by a fate etched in stone?" I found myself disappointed by how Part Two and Part Three followed the same narrative as Harry and Meghan's Netflix series. I was truly hoping for additional perspective, but it felt as though I'd already heard many of the situations and feelings provided in the last two-thirds of this memoir. In addition, there were a few instances where I found myself researching facts, situations, and photos as the events described weren't seeming to add up. The obvious slew of chronological and factual errors were distracting. This includes situations he describes that can be disproven just a few chapters before in his own memoir. While the memory can be a finicky thing, if I can do a simple search and find that Prince Harry once worked out with Cameron Diaz, including being photographed on a treadmill directly next to her, someone should have stopped such firm and damning statements from being entered into this memoir such as: "Indeed I couldn't, since we'd never met. I was never within fifty meters of Ms. Diaz, further proof that if you like reading pure bollocks then royal biographies are just your thing." Another example: "An hour later [Prince William] walked into Nott Cott, where he hadn't been since Meg first moved in." See just a few chapters prior where: "We arranged a second summit with Willy and Kate. This time on our turf. December 10, 2018. Early evening. We all gathered in our little front annex, [...]" It seems as though the second summit would have been well after Meg moved in as they were married in May 2018, leading the reader to believe that the original example would have to be at least the second time Prince William had been to Nottingham Cottage since Meghan moved in. An editor should have caught this and revised the wording a bit to make the timeline less confusing/concrete. These to name the biggest two to bother me, not including the Xbox, airline tickets that didn't exist, locations during major family events. These discrepancies cause me to question everything written. While I do give flexibility for memory to fail us, many of these instances could have (and should have) been caught and researched to provide more context to the reason for the discrepancy and/or worded in ways that express a feeling in the moment, not a fact. "So. Many a true word spoken in jest." Regardless, I found this to be an easy read due to the wonderful writing style and I do feel as though I've learned more about Prince Harry's personality and personal thoughts/feelings from this memoir. While I am at a place where I don't hold anything shared in this book as "fact," this memoir has helped me to appreciate the choices both Prince Harry and Meghan have made. Plus, Prince Harry talks about his todger quite a bit. If you're interested in that.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023 by Melynda Wangsness
What an eye-opening read. Being a royal is more difficult than anyone could have realized.
Format: Kindle
We all dream of being a prince or a princess when we're little. The dream of living in a castle among deep history and traditions would be amazing. Little girls dressing in beautiful gowns and jewelry, little boys dream of dressing in a palace uniform growing up to be handsome, daring, for all to see. But this is all a fantasy, isn't it? After reading the book I felt like it isn't a privledged life at all. It's growing up with expectations. A way to dress, a way to act, specific schooling, events to make an appearance because after all you are representing the people. You never cry, you always walk with a straight back, never show emotion, and know that you are there to serve the people of the UK. I watched Princess Diana's life through the media when I was small. Always thinking how lovely she looked, how poised, and how lucky she was to be part of the royalty. It wasn't until later I realized just how brilliant she was. She took the situation of constantly being followed/harassed by the media at every turn into something they could actually report on: the suffering in the world. Areas in our world that needed help, fed, medicine, mines removed, etc. And in the end, the paps were her downfall. The whole world mourned and I felt what I was feeling was only a small portion of what her two boys were going through. I remember watching them walk behind her casket so brave, walking upright as expected, and I cried for them. Their lives would never be the same. The saddest part of this book for me was Harry wishing his Mum was somewhere safe, hiding out instead of gone to Heaven. That struck me to the core. This showed the scale of love between a mother and her son. It's immeasureable. In reading this book you get the full picture of what life is like inside the castle gates. You get a glimpse of the life the royals have and how difficult it can be. I believe everything Prince Harry writes in this book. It wasn't told from the "Spare's" point of view, but more about how all of them deal with situations in their daily life. It's hard. Much of what was written in the book about the awful things the press let out didn't make it to the news in the U.S. People should be ashamed of themselves acting that way for a few bucks. People's lives were affected. It's sad. But I think everything that Harry wrote in this book was from a humble, honest place where he cut on himself more than he did the royal family. It's well written and I can't see where anyone in the monarchy should be appauled. If nothing else, it gave us commoner's a glimpse into the the life we thought was pampered but it isn't. I remember reading an article where Charles had his shoe laces ironed every day and his afternoon tea had to be served at a certain temperature.........people dubbed him the Pampered Prince at one time. Now I wonder how true that was. I hope that in the immediate future the whole family can come together and iron out their feelings. It feels like now that the Queen has passed, things have gone off the rails. I wish happiness for all and hope they find a way to unite once again. Family, after all, is everything. And sometimes, your only solace.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2026 by Lorrie