Published: 2023 Series: N/A
Author: Prince Harry (with J.R. Moehringer as Ghostwriter)
Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult, Autobiography, British History, Politics, Biography, Book Club, Royalty
Audience (Grade Levels): High School; Grades 11-12, Adult
Number of Stars: 4-Stars
Goodreads Link: Spare
Triggers: Death of a parent, war/violence, language, racism, sexual references
Review By: Sarah Williams
Publisher’s Summary:
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 Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . . For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Review:
I have been interested and fascinated with the British royal family since I was in middle school when I was assigned Princess Diana as a research paper topic. Through the years I have continued to watch and read about the British royal family, and have even been able to visit some of the notable locations in English. As a senior teacher I ask my students to read non-fiction texts, including memories, during the year. I have had many students read about Princess Diana, which makes me think that many will find her son’s book equally interesting. The Prince’s book is a long and fascinating account of his life told from his viewpoint. This makes the stories he shares both moving and yet any reader must realize he is sharing only his side, and we all know there are multiple sides to every story. The opening pages recount a time when he, as an adult, met with his dad and brother. He expected support but received a cold shoulder instead. The rest of the book tells, mostly chronologically, his life growing up as a young boy and how he and Meg met, married, and now their life in the US. His writing style is conversational and emotional. At times his language is more raw than I would like, but overall the story is interesting and moving. The parts where he talks about his mother’s death and his idea that she was just hiding was the most touching part, at least to me, and established a loneliness in his life that lasted until he married Meghan. I plan to take this book to school and allow students to check it out from my classroom library for their own reading. I anticipate that the themes of family, loss, and love will reverberate with my students as much as it did with me.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies / Modern World History (The British Monarchy & Global Commonwealth): This memoir offers an intimate, primary-source account of life within one of the world’s most prominent institutional families. High school history teachers can implement excerpts to explore the contemporary socio-political role of the British royal family, public perceptions of royalty, and Britain’s relationships with Commonwealth nations.
- English Language Arts / Media Literacy (Biased Narratives & Press Ethics): Given the text’s explicit commentary on tabloid culture and personal perspective, this book provides an exceptional framework for teaching media literacy. Students can examine the duality of public reporting versus personal memoir, assessing how media narratives manipulate public perception, and evaluating how a singular viewpoint shapes historical accounts.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Grief Processing, Trauma, & Isolation): The book heavily centers on the lingering psychological toll of early parental loss and childhood grief. It serves as a compelling text for upper-grade SEL modules focusing on processing trauma, managing public versus private identity pressures, and discovering emotional healing through marital and independent life choices.
Diversity & Representation:
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As the reviewer notes, Prince Harry details his personal reality and interactions within the historically exclusive landscape of British royalty and high society. However, representation values emerge as he outlines his experiences traveling through diverse global Commonwealth regions, confronts institutional microaggressions, and explicitly highlights the systemic racism targeted by the media at his biracial wife, Meghan, prompting important social critiques within an adult/young adult crossover space.
Readalikes:
- Diana: Her True Story–in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton
- The Palace Papers by Tina Brown
- Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
