Spare. Not terrible. Super interesting and well written, I did finish it. Maybe, at times, a little whiny, hard to follow, and unrelatable. But overall a fascinating read, coming from someone who doesn't give a flying fuck about the royal family.
The dominant theme of the book is Harry's resentment of being the "spare." Covers his early life, his mother's death, Princess Diana, education, royal duties, military service, and relationships with his family members, Prince William, and his father, King Charles III, including the latter's marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles. Also, he provides insight into his courtship, marriage, and eventual decision with Meghan to step back from their royal roles as well as becoming a parent.
Critically, some praised Harry's candor, while others criticized the book for divulging too many personal details. It's gotten pretty mixed reviews though it did break the record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, according to Guinness World Records.
Early on, dude recounts being born as the spare to William and how his father, Charles, referred to him as such. What a guy, am-I-right? He also discusses his mother's death and questions the investigation into it. He alleges corruption and cover-ups, and reveals his plans with William to ask for the investigation to be reopened. He even talked to psychics and shit.
He reveals that he experimented with drugs at a young age, taking cocaine at 17, cannabis, and magic mushrooms at a party in 2016 where he hallucinated and spoke to a trashcan and toilet like they were old pals. Been there, my guy. He also recounts a humiliating experience of losing his virginity to an older woman in a field. Cool cool.
Probably one of the most controversial parts of the book is when he talks about how he flew on six missions in Afghanistan that killed 25 Taliban members. He says he saw them as "chess pieces" rather than people. While the number of deaths did not make him feel super dope, they also did not make him feel ashamed.
This led to a shitstorm of criticism on Twitter in Afghanistan and Pakistan, who branded him a "murderer" and a "crusader." The Taliban regime's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, even issued a statement responding to the claims, calling it a "microcosm of the trauma experienced by Afghans at the hands of occupation forces who murdered innocents without any accountability." Taliban commanders also condemned Harry's comments, describing him as a "big mouth loser."
The comments sparked concerns that this part of the book could have serious repercussions for veterans at upcoming events like the “Invictus Games” which Harry championed. They also, of course, put target on his back and potentially exposes his family to danger. Some military figures were critical of Harry's description of military training and his comparison of opponents to chess pieces, which they believed could be exploited by Jihadist propaganda. Others questioned why he felt the need to share such details with the public, with some suggesting that he may be processing the trauma associated with his service. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a bitch, after all, and not something I can comment on, especially as someone who never served. Course saying shit like this is always tasteless and doesn't not show respect for those who had been killed. But I feel that if he left that stuff out, people would have been upset by that, too.
Eventually, though, he gets into the really juicy bits, i.e. the confrontations between him and his family members. One such incident happened in 2019 when Prince William allegedly confronted Harry about Meghan, calling her "difficult," "rude," and "abrasive." The argument escalated, and William allegedly grabbed Harry's collar, knocking him to the ground. In another encounter, following Prince Philip's funeral, Prince Charles urged Harry and William not to make his "final years a misery." Harry also shares his father's concern about Meghan's popularity overshadowing him and how he was surprised to lose his state-funded security after stepping back from royal duties. We are only getting one side, but they both come off like real pieces of shit.
Also, I had no idea how fucked up the media in the United Kingdom is. While the royal family shit is entertaining, the British media are the villain of the book. He is super critical as he takes aim at the media, especially when it comes to Rupert Murdoch. He calls him "evil" and criticizes his politics and the harm he does to objective facts. Can't argue with anything there. Murdoch, who is known for his ownership of a vast network of media, Fox News, has been a frequent target of Harry's criticism for profiting off of salacious stories and photos about the royal family. The prince is also critical of paparazzi and top editors at tabloids owned by Murdoch, whom he blames for damaging people's sense of reality. One incident he talks about is being chased by Murdoch's henchmen through the streets of LA, if I remember correctly, illustrating the prick of a media mogul's lack of morals. No argument from me there either.
His overall take on the media is that they've shown him pretty much nothing but racism, sexism, and bullying over the years. They've also perpetuated fake news and misinformation, calling for greater accountability and responsibility from media outlets. Thus his mental health has been negatively affected by their constant scrutiny. No shit. In addition, he has expressed concern about the impact that the media's coverage can have on public opinion and has called for more responsible reporting.
A total one-of-one, you don't get this kind of hot gos very often. Definitely worth a read even if, like me, you can't even name most of the people he is talking about. Probably the most relatable and intriguing part to me is how candid he is about his struggles with mental health and his struggles with the media.
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