NEW YORK – Prince Harry’s autobiography, which has sparked worldwide excitement since its announcement last year, will be released on January 10.
Penguin Random House describes the book, “Spare,” as an account told with “raw, unwavering honesty” as well as filled with “insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won intellect about the everlasting power of love over grief.”
Penguin Random House recalled the stunning 1997 death of Prince Harry’s mother, Diana, as well as the resulting image of Harry and his brother “moving behind their mother’s casket as the world was watching in sorrow and horror” in a statement issued Thursday.
The title of the memoir is an obvious reference to “the heir and the spare,” a phrase frequently used to refer to royal siblings. William, Harry’s brother, is now Prince of Wales as well as heir to the British throne. When Harry was born, he was second in line to William but has since been moved down. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing last month, their father, King Charles III, ascended to the throne.
Since the book’s initial announcement in July 2021, Royals fans and the general public have speculated infinitely. “Spare” was in the top ten on Amazon.com’s bestseller list within hours of its announcement on Thursday.
After he and his U.S-born wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for a shocking March 2021 telecast, the Duke of Sussex demonstrated an unprecedented willingness to discuss his personal life.
The couple discussed Meghan’s dissatisfaction with her new life in England, supposed racism inside the royal family, as well as Harry’s fear that his wife’s life would be jeopardized if they stayed in his home country.
Diana collaborated with author Andrew Morton on her explosive memoir “Diana: Her True Story” in 1992, wherein she detailed her unhappy marriage to the then heir to the throne Charles III.
Harry and Meghan retired from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States.
Harry told Winfrey that his family had financially abandoned him and that he had contributed to his protection with money left to him by his mother. They’ve started a number of projects, including a Netflix production deal as well as the nonprofit Archewell Foundation.
Harry issued a statement in response to Penguin Random House’s 2021 announcement.
“I’m writing this as the man I’ve become, rather than as the prince I was born as,” he explained. “Over the years, I’ve worn numerous hats, both literally and metaphorically, and my hope is that by sharing my story, the highs and lows, the mistakes, as well as the life lessons.I can help demonstrate that regardless of where we come from, we all can succeed, we have more in common than we imagine”.
The 416-page book will be available in 16 different languages, ranging from Dutch to Portuguese. The audiobook will be narrated by Harry, who is described by Penguin Random House as “a husband, father, humanitarian, former soldier, mental wellbeing advocate, as well as environmentalist.” A close-up of an expressionless Harry in a T-shirt appears on the cover.
The financial terms were also not disclosed, but the proceeds from “Spare” will be donated to British charities by Harry, Duke of Sussex. He already has donated $1.5 million to Sentebale, an organization he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to assist HIV/AIDS-affected young people and children in Lesotho as well as Botswana.
The book was supposed to be released this year, but the delay fueled speculation that Harry was hesitant to reveal too much about his family, or that he was revising the story after his grandmother passed away in September.
He has spoken of being distanced from his brother, despite the fact that the siblings as well as their spouses appeared in public together during the Queen’s death grieving period.
“Penguin Random House is privileged to be publishing Prince Harry’s candid and emotionally engaging story for readers everywhere,” said Markus Dohle, global CEO of Penguin Random House. “He shares a remarkable unique path from trauma to recovery, one that speaks to the power of love and therefore will motivate and inspire millions of people all over the world.”
