My mother and I share a common interest in the Royal Family of England. This addition to my discussion forum is very special to me because Mom read the book and gave a synopsis of what she deemed important. This book is written by Prince Harry about his life as a royal family member in England. Harry is the second son of Prince Charles and Lady Dianna, the Princess of Wales. This is Harry's way of sharing his life and experiences with the world. Sherry Adcox
To start this review it's important to share the first 2 hours immediately after Harry was born because this is where the book title, "The Spare", was taken. Prince Charles told Lady Dianna at that time well, "You've given me an heir, and a spare, I'm done." Two hours later he was with Camilla Parker Boles, his mistress.
William, the firstborn was third in line for the throne. The chosen one. He was trained, educated, and groomed from the beginning to become King of England someday. Harry's sole purpose was to be available should anything happen to William. He was the free one, the happy-go-lucky Spare, to the more serious William. Both boys were adored by their mother who tried to give them as normal a life as possible. This all changed after the death of their mother.
The boys walked behind their mother's coffin unable to show any emotion. It was only after Dianna was laid to rest in the cemetery that Harry was allowed and able to cry. Grief changed everything. Harry struggled in school and with anger because he blamed the press for his mother's death. He could not accept life in the spotlight.
Life for a royal was like living in a fishbowl. You were told how to act, what to wear, and what to say.
The press was always watching you, reporting everything you did. If they couldn't find anything to write about they made it up. Sometimes these stories were out-and-out lies.
Harry was always getting into trouble because he wanted to fight back. Unlike William who was able to let things go. William would show a stiff upper lip that Harry could not. When this happened Prince Charles would send him to South Africa to stay. Harry loved South Africa and the people loved him back. He could be himself. He would stay there until the press spotted him then he would have to go somewhere else.
At twenty-one, he joined the Army. It gave him discipline and structure. He served two combat tours. When returning home he suffered from post-traumatic stress and panic attacks. He had to seek counseling which helped him cope.
One thing that interested me about Harry was this, as a royal you aren't allowed to work. You are given a yearly stipend to live on, which wasn't nearly enough. Harry and his bodyguard would disguise themselves and just before closing time, they would visit a thrift store, so they could buy good name brands of clothes at discounted prices for him to wear. Harry was also given a very small apartment to live in by the Queen. He had to buy groceries and cook for himself. This task he enjoyed very much. I'm not so sure the clothing expense was fair.
Let's fast forward to when Harry met Meghan and was swept away. After their fairy-tale wedding, they were preyed upon by the press, and subjected to abuse, racism, and lies. Leaving the Royal Family was something few had dared. But, like his mother, Harry felt he must take his family and leave for their physical safety as well as their mental health.
In closing I would just like to say, I enjoyed reading this book and I have great respect for Harry. He is definitely his mother's child. Edna Stephens / April 2023.
