Over a year after Prince Harry first revealed he was writing a memoir, his publisher announced Thursday that the much-anticipated book, Spare, will arrive in Jan. 2023.
“It was 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. 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,” publishers Penguin Random House said of Spare in a synopsis. “For Harry, this is that story at last.”
The publisher also shared Spare’s cover, and announced that Prince Harry himself will read the audiobook version of his “personal and emotionally powerful” story.
The title Spare comes from the phrase “heir and spare,” which refers to Harry and his older brother Prince William, who is first in line for King Charles III’s throne.
When Prince Harry first announced his plans to pen a memoir in July 2021, he said in a statement, “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become. I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.”
It’s believed that Spare will feature — in Harry’s own words — the Prince’s exit from the Royal Family following his marriage to Meghan Markle and the continued fallout from that decision. However, the magnitude of “bombshells” about the Royal Family within the pages remains unclear. According to the New York Times, the memoir’s publication was reportedly delayed numerous times as Prince Harry had “cold feet” over some of its contents.
Spare will arrive during a perilous time for the U.K. following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the ascension of King Charles III, and economic turbulence in Britain that caused Prime Minister Liz Truss to resign after 44 days on the job.
Penguin Random House added in their synopsis, “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.”
In addition to unveiling the book’s title, cover, and Jan. 10, 2023 release date, Prince Harry also announced he will donate over $1.8 million in Spare’s proceeds to a pair of British charities, WellChild and Sentebale, an organization he co-founded to support vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS.