Original title: “Spare Tire” tells the story of the royal family’s grievances and Prince Harry’s controversy once more
Bi Zhenshan
The British Prince Harry, who came to live in the United States, has been caught in controversy once more recently because of his memoir “Spare Tire”.
On January 10, Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare Tire” was officially published. Available in 16 languages and as an audiobook, the book is ghostwritten by Molinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of America’s highest award in journalism. On the day of its publication, the book sold well and was on the bestseller lists in the UK, the US, Australia, Germany and other countries.
Some foreign media predict that this memoir will be the most sensational memoir of a royal family member since the publication of Harry’s mother Princess Diana’s biography “Diana: Her True Story” in 1992.
In this 416-page book, Prince Harry recounted many past grievances of the royal family, accusing his father, stepmother, brother, sister-in-law and so on.
He said in the book: his brother, Prince William, knocked him to the ground because he disagreed with his marriage with Meghan; Persuading his father not to marry the current queen Camilla; Camilla leaked the news to the media to gain official recognition; following he married Meghan, the royal family worried regarding the color of their children; following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family did not without informing him in advance…
In addition, Harry also disclosed some personal information in the book, such as his drug use and the killing of 25 Taliban members while serving in Afghanistan. He said in the book that he is the “spare tire” of his brother William.
Before the official release of the memoirs, Prince Harry recently accepted interviews with many British and American media to build momentum for the new book and at the same time explain his book. Harry said that he published his memoirs to try to “own his own story” and also to break the royal family’s motto “no complaints, no explanations”, because he was dissatisfied with the royal family’s accommodation and hypocrisy of tabloids.
Harry also revealed that another reason he published his memoir was the need to earn money to support his family. According to media reports, publisher Penguin Random House paid him a $20 million upfront payment, and the copyright fee for the book may end up being $35 million to $40 million.
However, the PR push by Prince Harry and himself has not quelled the book’s controversy.
On the day the memoir was published, many British media published book reviews, criticizing Harry for being “dishonest” and “spoiled and full of resentment”. Some media in Australia, Canada, and India also criticized Harry. Of course, some media tried to understand Harry’s “root of pain”. There are also comments that the publication of “Spare Tire” will threaten the British monarchy.
It is worth noting that due to Harry’s mention of serving in Afghanistan in the book, demonstrations took place in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, protesting Harry’s “atrocities” in Afghanistan. The Taliban accused Harry of killing civilians and committing “war crimes”. The Helmand Provincial MP also expressed that he would prosecute Harry in the International Court of Justice.
Some analysts pointed out that although public opinion has put pressure on Harry, judging from Harry’s past life, the controversy seems to have never gone away.
Harry, 38, is the second son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana. When Harry was 12 years old, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris, and Harry’s young heart was hit. Harry later recalled that it took him almost 20 years to get over the loss of his mother.
In 2018, Harry married American actress Meghan. At the beginning of 2020, the Harrys suddenly announced that they would “retire” from the royal family and live in the UK and North America. The royal family was appalled that they hadn’t consulted the queen and the royal family first. Subsequently, the royal family announced that Harry and his wife no longer have the title of “His Royal Highness”, no longer perform royal duties, and no longer receive public funds, but retain the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
After that, the Harrys moved to live in California, USA, and began to “make a living by themselves”. Harry works in many companies in the United States, and the couple have also produced documentaries. The royal family has expressed concern following Harry planned to publish his memoir.
In “Backup,” Harry said he wanted to reconcile with the royal family. But the current British public opinion environment is even more unfavorable for Harry.
According to a survey conducted by a British polling agency, only 26% of Britons hold a positive view of Prince Harry, while 64% hold a negative view. Some British lawmakers have called for Prince Harry to be deprived of his duke title, arguing that he has “defamed” the royal family. The “Sun” online survey also showed that 70% of people think that Harry’s publication of “Spare Tire” is “disgraceful”, and 89% of people think that Harry and his wife should be deprived of their titles.
In May this year, the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom will be held. Whether the Harry and his wife will attend the ceremony will become the biggest suspense. It will also be clear what impact “Spare Tire” will have on Harry and the British royal family.