First came the Twitter critics, then the late-night comedians and now the satirists: Prince Harry's bestselling memoir "Spare" is getting the parody treatment, to arrive on the heels of April Fool's Day.
Yes, the joke book is real, according to U.K. publisher Little, Brown, which is part of Hachette U.K.
"Spare Us! A Harrody" will be available to buy in the U.K. on April 5, a spokesperson for Little, Brown said in a Thursday email to the L.A. Times. It's still unclear if the book will be sold in the U.S.
The satire mocks the famed 38-year-old prince's merciless tell-all, that he published earlier this year, that skewered the modern British royal family. The original Penguin Random House book contained unwelcome revelations about the spare heir — who is sixth in the British royal line of succession — including barbs about his sister-in-law Kate Middleton and anecdotes in which he smeared Elizabeth Arden cream on his frostbitten "todger" and lost his virginity in a field.
"All I had ever wanted was privacy. In order to get it, it seemed that an exceptionally detailed 500,000-word book was in order," reads a pointed "Spare Us!" excerpt released on the U.K. publisher's website. The book cover also features another portrait of Harry, this time with tape placed across his mouth.
"Spare Us!" was written by Bruno Vincent, whose other titles include "Fairy Tales for Millennials" and a dozen sendups of Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" series, including "Five Go Gluten Free" and best-seller "Five on Brexit Island." Vincent takes aim at the duke of Sussex's memoir amid his and his wife Meghan's apparently contradictory pursuit of privacy in Southern California.
"He was born into an ancient, powerful dynasty and, through no fault of his own, became one of the most recognisable men on the planet. His life was a constant barrage of press intrusion and manipulation. Until, finally, he demanded that it stop," the synopsis says.
"In order to get the privacy he so craved, he has written a frostbite-and-all book that goes deep inside the castle walls and exposes every shouting match, fist fight, betrayal, teddy bear, awkward hug and tear-stained wedding rehearsal for the world to feast their eyes on.
"All for privacy! This is his story."
The book is the latest snarky take-down of the royal couple, who stepped back as working royals in 2020 and relocated to Montecito, California, amid a media firestorm in the U.K. (Harry and Meghan have repeatedly taken shots at the royal family in their recent Netflix docuseries, Meghan's "Archetypes" podcast and bombshell 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview.)
The duke and duchess of Sussex were lampooned by Comedy Central's "South Park" in a February episode titled "The Worldwide Privacy Tour." Meghan, a former TV actor who starred in the legal drama "Suits," was reportedly "upset and overwhelmed" by the episode.
Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond Thursday to the L.A. Times' requests for comment about "Spare Us!"
———
