Prince Harry's Memoir Gets a Fitting Title

Book will be called 'Spare,' a reference to his position as younger brother to a future king
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 27, 2022 3:45 PM CDT
Prince Harry's Memoir Gets a Fitting Title
This image provided by the Random House Group shows the cover of "Spare," Prince Harry's memoir.   (Random House Group via AP)

Prince Harry's memoir—which he once promised to be an "accurate and wholly truthful" account of his life, including "the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned"—is coming Jan. 10. On Thursday, his publishers announced it would be called Spare, an apparent nod to Harry's position as the younger brother of a future king. As in, monarchies need an "heir and a spare," as the old saying goes, per the BBC. The book has been the subject of much debate, particularly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Though it was expected to contain potentially damaging revelations about the royal family when it was announced in the summer of 2021, soon after Harry and wife Meghan Markle exited royal duties, rumors now suggest Harry will "tone down or shy away from some of the more damning material about his family out of respect for the queen," the New York Times reports. The outlet notes the prince "has gotten cold feet about the memoir's contents at various points." It adds that Harry is working with ghostwriter JR Moehringer, who "is known for probing the tensions inherent in father-son relationships"—which is bound to be a sticky topic now that Charles is king.

Publisher Penguin Random House describes the book as one of "raw, unflinching honesty"—"full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief," per the BBC. Global CEO Markus Dohle adds Harry "shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love," per the Guardian. The prince's proceeds from the memoir—part of a rumored $20 million multi-book deal between Harry and Meghan and the publisher—will be donated to charity. (More Prince Harry stories.)

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