Prince Harry has revealed what his childhood with Prince William was like in a heartbreaking 9-word remark. Harry shared the harrowing experience in his tell-all memoir, Spare.
The book was ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer and published by Penguin Random House in January 2023. Its 416 pages is a behind-the-scenes look at royal life and documents Harry's childhood and the profound effect of the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
The book quickly became a global best-seller and was followed up with several major interviews involving Prince Harry. It delves into Harry's deployment in Afghanistan with the British Army and his relationship with his older brother and his father, King Charles.
Harry also shares details about his relationship with his now wife Meghan Markle and the painful process of stepping back from their royal roles. The most telling aspect of the book revolves around Harry and Prince William's relationship.
In the book, Harry discussed what it was like to be his brother's 'spare'. In a heartbreaking entry he wrote: "There was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity." In a blunt 9-word remark, he added: "I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B."
The prince continued: "I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow.
"This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter." Harry's decision to step away from royal life and go on to expose private family moments on Netflix and in his memoir Spare caused a rift between the duke, 40, and his older brother Prince William, 42.
It is believed that the brothers have not been on talking terms since Harry released his bombshell memoir. While their relationship may have been rocky before the memoir was published, Prince William did show signs of wanting to improve relations with his younger brother. This was shown just days after the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death, when the Prince of Wales extended an olive branch to Harry.
Before William and Princess Kate stepped out for a walkabout in Windsor to view floral tributes left for the late Queen, the future King sent a text to Harry and invited the duke and his wife Meghan Markle, who were in the UK at the time, to join them. The walkabout was originally scheduled for 4.30pm but was reportedly pushed back by 45 minutes as the brothers made plans.
The two couples then stepped out on The Long Walk in Windsor together where they looked at floral tributes and spoke to members of the public. While the walkabout seemed to be a success, despite limited interactions between the couples, the brothers and their wives have not stepped out just the four of them since.
The brothers are not believed to have met up on Prince Harry’s recent visits to the UK this week or last September. The Duke of Sussex returned to his home country to attend a two-day hearing of his appeal against a High Court ruling about his security arrangements in Britain.
Harry is challenging the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country.
