From the Bookshelf: SPARE by Prince Harry

As an American, I’ve always been baffled by the interest our press has with the doings of the British Monarchy. The formalities, the rules and traditions, the line of succession are all topics that are definitely not at the top of my mind most of the time. The few blurbs in the news about the activities of William and Kate, Harry and Meghan, Charles and Camilla…are small anecdotes in my life.

For some reason, I was interested in this latest book from Prince Harry, SPARE, because it was described as being in his own words…without the filter of the press. From the first page I was captivated by the experiences Harry shared, from the grief of losing his mother, to trying to fit into the boarding school model with his older brother.

As a mother and former teacher, I could relate to Harry’s difficulty fitting into the academic setting when his learning style demonstrated he did better with hands on learning. Yes, he made friends, but they often got into trouble stretching and bending the rules. His saving grace was the military and his desire to learn to fly.

All his life, the UK press made sure that anything he did was documented in a most unflattering way. Harry mentioned many occasions where a story was published with damaging pictures. I remember some of those stories from our news. He shares what was really happening and told the real story. Much of the book describes his frustrations. He could complain to his grandmother, dad, brother and body guards to fight back against the made-up stories and share the facts, but the policy of the Monarchy was to not engage and not fight back. So, the stories stayed in the news.

Being harassed by the news reporters with people hiding in the bushes and looking in the windows to take pictures was continual. The competition to get the best (or most obnoxious) photos was fierce. Anything to make a buck. Harry remembered his mother being chased, ending in her death in a car crash. He carried his memory and grief for so many years.

It wasn’t until he met Meghan that all of these issues came to a head. From the beginning, Harry and Meghan retreated to isolated locations in Africa where Harry had established friendships with folks involved in the charities he supported. When they needed to participate in official functions in Britain, the press was relentless. Made up stories that Kate and Meghan were fighting, William and Harry were on the outs…every day another headline. The whole drama made me sad as Harry begged his grandmother and his father to take a stand. I really don’t understand the protocol of stoicism that has developed over centuries in the Monarchy. However, as a mother I identified with Harry’s frustrations.

Now, every time I read another article in the news sharing tidbits of his life that are really none of my business, I will turn the page/turn off the news/not buy the magazine and will send loving thoughts to Harry and his family. I hope they have found some peace and safety in California.

Please leave a comment if you have thoughts about this book!