Prince Harry's highly anticipated memoir on his life as King Charles III's second-born child, titled Spare, will be published in January, his publishers have revealed.
The book — which was originally due to be published later this year but will now be released on January 10 — promises "raw, unflinching honesty" from the Duke of Sussex.
The title, which has sent shock waves through royal watchers and the public at large, refers to the prince's years of being the "spare" royal to his older brother Prince William.
The phrase "the heir and the spare" has long been used to describe the monarch and their younger sibling — coined in older times when having multiple offspring was necessary to ensure the monarch's succession in the case of death or abdication.
OK, I bite. What is Spare about?
Spare is being billed by Penguin Random House as an account filled with "insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief".
In a statement released on Thursday, the publishing house summoned memories of the death of Princess Diana, and the subsequent tragic image of Prince Harry and Prince William "walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow — and horror".
"As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling — and how their lives would play out from that point on," the statement said.
"For Harry, this is his story at last."
The global CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, said he was honoured to be publishing Prince Harry's "candid and emotionally powerful story".
"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," he said.
It was first announced that Prince Harry was writing a memoir back in July 2021.
At the time, the duke said he was writing the book "not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become".
"I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think," he said.
The 416-page book will be published in 16 languages, from Dutch to Portuguese.
The prince — identified by Penguin Random House as "a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist" — will narrate the audiobook himself.
Spare had tentatively been scheduled for publication this year, and the delay led to rumours that the duke was hesitant to say too much about his family, or was potentially revising the narrative after his grandmother died in September.
He has spoken of being estranged from his brother, although the siblings and their wives appeared in public together during the mourning period following the Queen's death.
Within hours of Thursday's announcement, Spare was in the top 10 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.
The financial terms of the book deal have not been disclosed, but Prince Harry will donate proceeds from the book to British charities.
ABC/AP
