Spare - Prince Harry

Review:

This was an incredibly interesting read. I don’t follow the royals too closely, but I have always been fascinated by the family vs. crown dynamic. I’ve always said that you could not pay me enough to be a royal & after reading this book, I’m doubling down on that.

The biggest takeaway I had is there are always 3 sides to every story: person 1, person 2, and the truth. A truth we will never fully know because none of us were there. That’s not to say anyone (Harry, William, Charles, etc.) is lying, it’s just that everyone has their own version of the truth based on their biases. And this is Harry’s side.

Other thoughts:

-It was heartbreaking to read about Diana and the fallout after her death. The fact that both boys were expected to get up the next day, go to church, and face the public after not getting any real comfort or help to process was hard to read

-The tone this book gave off was a boy desperately trying to find his place in a world that he was brought into just to be a spare

-Hearing about his strained relationship with William pulled at my fascination with family dynamics. Both boys were dealt a bad hand, one that bred contempt and competition - it’s no wonder there is so much built-up animosity 

-I thought his stories detailing the war were a little ~too~ detailed & long

-I was hoping for some clarity on their family dynamic and while we got some, it left me more confused as to where they stand. There were tender moments and then there were moments where it was clear that they are not a true family - they are just a collection of people who plant stories about each other to make themselves look better

-I knew the press was exceedingly harsh on Meghan, but I didn’t know the full extent of it until he started quoting headlines. I was disgusted by the world we still live in

-I enjoyed reading about his relationship with Meghan. It was sweet & honest and you could feel the love he has for her. I wish he went into their life together now a little more

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It dragged a little at points, but I thought it was a very interesting read especially if you are interested in the dynamics of the royals

Rating:

No Rating