Prince Harry branded ‘pathetic’ after calling his tell-all book Spare in a dig over his lower Royal position
PRINCE Harry’s book title Spare has been slammed as a “pathetic” dig at the Royal Family.
It refers to him as the “spare” to heir brother William. An expert said: “It is a bit pathetic that he hasn’t moved on.”
Commentators say it shows Prince Harry still begrudges his lower status.
In an announcement yesterday, the publisher said the memoir would be filled with “raw, unflinching honesty” and “full of revelation”.
It is due to hit bookshelves on January 10 — the day after the 41st birthday of Catherine, Princess of Wales and just four months after the death of the Queen.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, declared: “Being the ‘spare’ is still at the forefront of his mind all these years later and he clearly feels belittled by it.
READ MORE ON PRINCE HARRY
“It is really a bit pathetic that he hasn’t managed to move on. Diana used to call him the spare. Harry would say ‘I’m the spare, I don’t have to behave, I can do what I like’.”
Publisher Penguin Random House boasts readers will go back to the “searing” moment when Harry, then 12, and William walked behind their mother Princess Di’s coffin in 1997.
It claims the book will reveal what the grieving pair were “thinking and feeling” and “for Harry, this is his story at last”.
However, it flies in the face of the old royal convention of “never complain, never explain”. Wills, 40, has barely spoken to his brother, 38, since news of the memoir emerged.
Most read in Fabulous
The release was postponed from December so Harry could “refine” the draft and “make changes” after his grandmother’s death.
Costing £28, 416-page Spare has Harry’s face on the cover and is set to be translated into 16 languages.
Its Spanish title, En La Sombre, translates as “In the Shade”.
It is feared Harry — who has been researching his late mother’s life — will attack his “wicked stepmother” Camilla, 75, now Queen Consort.
Friends of King Charles, 73, who sources say “deeply loves both his sons”, fear Harry will again slam his childhood — which he has previously blasted as the reason he moved to the US with wife Meghan, 41.
Markus Dohle, boss of Penguin Random House, said: “He shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world.”
Harry got an advance of £17.5million for the memoir — part of a £35million four-book deal.
He has donated £1.3million to his Africa Aids charity Sentebale and will give £300,000 to WellChild. When the book deal was announced last summer, Harry claimed all proceeds would go to charity.
Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the Queen, said: “Harry has known since he could walk and talk that Charles and Diana had an heir and a spare and which one he was.
“He may use it to have a further go at his family but he has had a pretty good effort so far.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
“The Royal Family will only be worried about how much is true and how much is dramatic licence.”
Meanwhile Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries is expected to be screened around December 9.
