The Book Report

After recently participating in a Netflixdocuseries and giving several TV interviews, Prince Harry has released Spare, his memoir that gives the full story about his time as a member of the royal family.

In the book, Harry details everything from the aftermath of his mother’s death, his often rocky relationship with his father and brother, his time in the military, his relationship with Meghan Markle, and his groundbreaking decision to leave the royal family in order to protect his wife and children.

The monarchy is a constructed reality, relying on the belief that a single person holds the essence of Britishness. This fiction was once supported by political and military power and a supposed direct line to God. Today, it is sustained by habit, tradition, and spectacle. The monarchy is theater, storytelling, and illusion, making it an irresistible subject for writers of fiction.

Prince Harry’s autobiography, “Spare,” sheds light on this illusion and the toll it takes on those within the monarchy. He writes about the pressure of being in the public eye and the constant scrutiny of the media. The media’s portrayal of the royals is not always accurate, often relying on a zero-sum game in which one family member’s image is protected at the expense of another. This has resulted in harmful narratives, such as the “wayward son” or the “witch-like woman.”

The monarchy’s relationship with the media is a complicated one, as it requires constant visibility to maintain the illusion. Harry particularly dislikes the monarchist press, reserving special loathing for the Telegraph’s royal correspondent and News UK’s CEO, Rebekah Brooks. Despite his privileged upbringing, Harry is not a snob, and his political views align with the left.

One striking passage in “Spare” recounts Harry’s therapist’s analysis of Hilary Mantel’s 2013 LRB essay about Kate Middleton. The essay was widely misread by the tabloids, but Harry recalls his disgust at Mantel’s comparison of the royal family to “pandas” kept in a zoo. This highlights the public’s fascination with the monarchy and the dangerous consequences of treating them as mere spectacle.

Overall, “Spare” sheds light on the illusions and struggles of life within the monarchy, offering a unique perspective on the toll that being a public figure can take. As Harry writes, he hopes that by sharing his story, history will not repeat itself.