The Duke of Sussex’s memoir, Spare, has already hit the number one spot on many bestsellers lists ahead of its release date.
Prince Harry’s forthcoming autobiography, which officially hits shelves on Tuesday 10 January, is full of many bombshell claims about the duke’s life inside palace walls and his relationship with the British royal family.
Although Spare is not due for release until Tuesday, the highly-anticipated memoir made headlines earlier this week when the book had accidentally gone on sale in Spain. Many of the shocking extracts from Spare included an alleged physical fight between Prince Harry and Prince William, the moment Harry learned of Princess Diana’s death, his illegal drug usage, and the last words he said to Queen Elizabeth II on her deathbed.
Despite excerpts being leaked ahead of its release date, Spare has maintained interest as it already tops many bestseller charts. The book is also among the most popular pre-order titles at large retailers.
One day before its release, Spare currently ranks number one on Barnes and Nobles’ Top 100 Book Bestsellers list. The memoir was originally listed on B&N’s website at $36.00, but has since been reduced to $25.20. Spare also holds the number one spot on both Amazon US and Amazon UK’s best sellers list, where it is being sold for $22.42 and £14.00, respectively.
A report from The Guardian estimates that Spare will be among the “biggest pre-order titles of the last decade” for a number of bookstores. John Cotterill, Waterstones’ non-fiction category manager, told the publication that “high customer interest” will be “sustained on and after publication, with everything pointing to Spare being one of 2023’s bestsellers.”
However, major UK bookshops have offered Spare at half its original £28 RRP since the book went on pre-sale.
Spare will be released in 16 different languages, including an audiobook narrated by Prince Harry himself. According to Penguin Random House, Spare tells Harry’s side of the story about his life within the royal family before stepping down from his role as a senior royal in 2020.
“With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” the book’s description reads.
Prince Harry shared details about the book during his two televised interviews with ITV’s Tom Bradbury and 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper, which both aired on Sunday 8 January.
His nearly two-hour long conversation with Bradbury included Harry narrating controversial excerpts from the book which, according to one royal biographer, “could mark the beginning of the end” of the monarchy.
While speaking to Bradbury, Harry opened up about his decision to publish the “personal and moving” memoir, launched a scathing attack on the UK press, and clarified some recent headlines about Spare.
Meanwhile, Harry described Camilla Parker-Bowles as “the villain” during his 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper, claiming she launched a “campaign” in the British press to “rehabilitate her image” after Princess Diana famously described her as being the “third person” in her and Charles’ marriage.
