Prince Harry is finally set to release the paperback edition of his venomous memoir, Spare.
Still, the royal family will likely breathe a sigh of relief when the publisher announces that the book will no longer be updated beyond the hardcover version, a somewhat unusual move for an international bestseller.
Unfortunately, the October release will coincide with King Charles’ high-profile appearance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, his first appearance since ascending the throne and becoming head of the global organisation.
The event will take place from October 21 to 25. Harry’s paperback will be released in the US on October 22 and in the UK two days later.
Prince Harry pictured at the Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, 2024 in London
Prince Harry is finally set to release the paperback edition of his venomous memoir, Spare
Lady Louise Windsor at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, Berkshire, on May 5, 2024
Buckingham Palace announced in July that the monarch would be present despite his cancer treatment. In October he will be part of a tour that will also include Australia.
The reissue of Spare will also re-expose shocking allegations the prince has made against his estranged family, including that Prince William broke his chain and pushed it onto a dog bowl, which broke during a particularly explosive row.
He also touched on numerous private conversations he’d had with his father and brother, and highlighted the problems between his wife and the then-Duchess of Cambridge, as well as Kate’s response to Meghan saying she had a “baby brain.”
Publisher Penguin Random House announced yesterday that Spare’s new imprint will be published in 16 languages worldwide.
The cover image is the same as the hardcover edition, the packaging has been redesigned, but ‘the contents of the book are unchanged’.
It was asked if Harry, like many other authors, would update the paperback edition with a new chapter, especially given the sheer volume of events over the past year.
Over time, relations with his family have deteriorated, the king has been diagnosed with cancer, forcing Harry to make a transatlantic flight to London to visit his father for just 30 minutes, and his children, Archie and Lilibet, have become prince and princess.
Unfortunately, however, the release of Spare in October will coincide with King Charles’ high-profile appearance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, his first appearance since ascending the throne and becoming head of the global organisation.
The reissue of Spare will also revive the prince’s shocking claims against his estranged family, including allegations that Prince William snapped his chain and pushed him onto a dog bowl that broke during a particularly explosive row.
Harry’s decision to remain silent on the revelations could be seen by some as an attempt to calm the family feud.
First published on January 10 last year, Spare became an instant sensation in the publishing world, selling over six million copies worldwide in both print and audio formats.
The book holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, in no small part because Harry became the most prominent family member to ever talk out of turn about the monarchy.
Although the book, written by journalist JR Moehringer, was a financial success for the prince, it is widely believed that his reputation suffered as a result.
Many found both the book and Harry’s series of venomous media appearances to promote the book to be a betrayal and criticized his version of events.
It typically takes six months to a year for a paperback edition to come out after its original hardcover publication.
They can be produced and sold more cheaply and are designed to attract more readers.
Whether Spare will actually do this, given its enormous success as a hardcover book, remains to be seen.