Prince Harry reportedly did not tell the Royal Family the pointed title of his "nuclear" tell-all memoir before it was announced.
The title - Spare - has been revealed alongside a striking cover image, with royal insiders labelling the choice as "confrontational" and "yet another attack on the royal family". Spare is a nod to the phrase 'The Heir and Spare', which was used to describe Harry and his older brother Prince William based on their positions within the line of succession. It will hit shelves on January 10, 2023, and the publisher has described it as having "raw, unflinching honesty" and "full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief."
And according to the Daily Mail, Harry did not tell his family about the title in advance of it being made public, with a source saying it is "loaded and it does not bode well".
It comes after another source said: "The very title demonstrates yet another confrontational attack on the family after claiming a desire for privacy.
"Palace lawyers will undoubtedly be on standby in the new year waiting to see what is in it.
"If Harry’s previous allegations across numerous TV interviews are anything to go by, this will be nuclear.
"Regardless of the content, which will no doubt be explosive, there will be little chance of this acting as a vehicle to reconciliation for Harry and Meghan."
It comes as a description for the book, due for release on January 10, from publisher Penguin Random House claims it will take "readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror".
It adds: "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. For Harry, this is his story at last.
"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 416-page book, which has a striking cover image of Harry, will cost £28 for a hardback, with the audio book, voiced by Harry himself, priced at £20.
Penguin Random House said the memoir will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada, while the book will also be published in translation in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. The Spanish language version will carry the even more telling title Spare: In the Shadow.
Insiders told The Mirror it's unclear whether Harry picked the book's name or the publishing company.
Meanwhile, a description under the heading "about the author" reads: " Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs.”
