The Tall Tales of Prince Harry
Prince Harry, King Charles III’s son and fifth in line for the throne, published his new memoir, “Spare”, on Jan. 10. It provides details about Harry’s family, his decision to step back from his royal role and more. With 1.4 million copies sold the day it was published, it quickly became the fastest selling non-fiction novel in history (Newsweek). Some critics commend Harry for speaking up, praising him for his bravery in exposing the hardships of the royal life. On the other hand, many view the memoir as paradoxical, one-sided and vengeful. Alexandra Jacobs of The New York Times wrote that the memoir “draws endless attention in an effort to renounce fame.” Although “Spare” was written so Harry could share his story with the world, it is nothing more than an ill attempt at victimizing himself and tarnishing his family’s reputation.
The detailed accounts of Harry’s experiences often fail at what they are intended to do: portray him as a victim. For instance, during Prince Harry’s time serving in the military in Afghanistan, he claims to have killed 25 people and also describes his targets as “chess pieces” rather than human beings. He then goes on to blame his training from the British Royal Army for this mindset, stating that he was trained to “other-ize” them. Because he takes no responsibility and deflects all blame instead, the only thing that Harry’s accounts of Afghanistan accomplishes for him is that he successfully manages to show what low regard he places on the lives of others. This pattern of not owning up to his mistakes continues on throughout the memoir. Harry includes details about some of the choices he made in his youth, such as the scandal in the early 2000s when Harry dressed up as a Nazi soldier. Instead of taking any blame, Harry proceeds to drag his brother, Prince William, and William’s wife through the mud. He accuses them of coercing him into dressing up as a Nazi soldier, saying that they thought it would have been “funny” (Newsweek). Prince Harry made the conscious decision to dress up as a Nazi soldier, and placing all the blame on his brother for the ensuing drama is not acceptable. Harry was an adult who was fully capable of making his own decisions at the time, and he should have admitted that he was the one to blame – any decent and honorable person would accept they were at least partially at fault.
“[What Harry did] by exposing the inner workings [of the royal family] and telling the public what they do not see is [commendable],” junior Audrey Yu said. “[However,] he painted himself in a better light than he should have. I do get that there is drama between him and his family, but that does not mean he has the right to victimize himself and drag down his family with him.”
Furthermore, “Spare” was written for an intimate look into Harry’s life, but in the process, Harry disrespected many members of his family. There are moments where Harry acknowledges the positive moments he shared with his family, but most of the time, he portrays them as villains. Allegedly, before Harry married Meghan Markle, King Charles tried to convince Harry that marrying Meghan would be a mistake, describing her as “difficult, rude and abrasive.” Harry also names the memoir after a joke his father made: that William was the “heir” and he the “spare.” This joke supposedly held some merit, as William always received luxuries that Harry did not. But even if what Harry described in the memoir is true, it does not excuse his failure to consider the potential impact on his family before publicly airing their family drama. Harry has a moral obligation to protect his family’s reputation, and his decision to prioritize his own interests over theirs is a clear indication of his lack of concern for their well-being. He is not just describing the King of England in the memoir; he is describing his father. William is his older brother, not only the Duke of Cambridge. Even though the royal family did not protect Harry from the public at times, by exposing his family in this public way rather than internally like he should have, Harry himself turns into the antagonizer. Harry even claims that he wants to step away from the royal family, but by writing this book, Harry only associated himself with his family even more.
“It is great that he is building a life independently, but if he really wants to be independent, he should stop including the royal family [in what he does],” junior Peyton Khorey said. “It does not make a lot of sense [because] he [says that he] is trying to distance himself [from the royal family], then writes a whole book about them.”
Some say Harry’s detailed account of his life’s troubles is a brave move on his end because the royal family is not as glorious as the public makes it out to be. However, not once does Harry seem thankful for the elitist life he leads. He and his family currently live in a $14 million mansion in LA. Additionally, Harry’s relation to the royal family is one of the only reasons he is generating revenue; the money made from his memoir, too, is only due to his fame from being a royal. No matter the difficulties he endured, he still had access to the royal family’s vast resources and had a more lavish upbringing than nearly all people due to it. At the very
“I think he is taking advantage of the situation and trying to profit off of it instead of going off and trying to heal himself,” sophomore Lucy Chai said. “[The memoir] is a source of income [for Harry] and people are paying him for his story. It is very disrespectful to his family because he did lead a very privileged life before he threw it all away. He has so much the world can only dream of.”
