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Prince Harry‘s decision to delve into his life as a royal “spare” in his memoir was borne out of a genuine decision to make his story known, claims a royal critic. Harry’s memoir Spare deepened the rift between him, his brother Prince William, and the rest of his family, leading to claims he sold out the royals for financial gains. The Duke of Sussex, who has been at odds with the royals since his stepback from royal duties in 2020 alongside wife Meghan Markle, further worsened the royal feud with his scathing revelations about them in interviews, documentaries, and his 2023 memoir. The 40-year-old seemingly made a gesture of peace to his family by making no new revelations about the royals in the paperback edition of Spare launched last month.
His lack of new exposés led to a decline in sales compared to the initial release which saw record success. However, contrary to the belief that the Prince could be regretting his “olive branch” due to the poor sales, royal commentator Jennie Bond thinks the numbers hardly mattered to the “already wealthy” author. The former BBC royal correspondent, who has openly criticized Prince Harry’s royal exit and subsequent drama took a more subtle approach towards the prince in her latest interview with OK!
Prince Harry’s Critic Admits Writing “Spare” Was Never a Financial Decision
Jennie revealed she didn’t think Harry would be upset with the low sales his paperback edition attracted. The critic believes Prince Harry made “an awful lot of money” from the original Spare release, and was already a wealthy man regardless of the paperback’s poor performance. Going further, she admitted that the father of two never deemed the financial prospects a main driving force behind his memoir contrary to wide-held opinion. Jennie divulged,
“I don’t think his decision to write Spare was ever a predominantly financial decision. I think he really wanted the world to know how he felt about his life, his family, and the way he felt the palace treated him.”
The critic also acknowledged that Prince Harry’s decision not to “dredge out more stories” about his family in the recently released paperback edition of Spare could be a sign he was ready to move on from the royal feud. She considered his move a “conscious decision” to bid farewell to all the “bitterness,” which is overall, a good decision for everyone involved.
Prince Harry Ready to “Move On” After Profiting Off His Royal Struggles
The Duke of Sussex has previously defended himself against claims he “sold out” the royal family in his memoir. Responding to a presenter who analyzed the reality of him profiting off his memoir from a critic’s point of view during a 2023 live interview promoting Spare, he voiced,
“I’m sure that’s probably what some people think or what some people want to think. For me, having seen my family and the institution’s part in constantly feeding the British press with lies mistruths, disinformation, and the whole lot. Especially more so than ever over the last six years, and the damage that did to my wife at the time. The only way that I can stop that from happening, the only way I can protect us, the only way I can correct those mistruths, is by writing something, the truth, in one place without going through the same people they chose to go through.”
Despite Prince Harry’s explanation justifying the damaging claims about his family in the memoir, many royal observers like Jennie called him out, urging him to seek reconciliation with his dad and brother, rather than continuously drag them through the mud. Although difficult, that reconciliation seems closer than it’s ever been in years, especially with Harry’s latest move hinting he had moved on, and the royals’ move to honor the Duke’s milestone 40th birthday.
