Prince Harry’s struggle of being a ‘spare’ has “dominated his life”, according to one royal expert. Harry, who was known as the ‘spare’ to Prince William, was born in 1984 and, as King Charles’ second child, was third in line at the time of his birth.
In his bombshell memoir, Spare, Harry wrote: “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy.” Adding, he wrote: “I was summoned to provide back up, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a ‘spare’ part. Kidney perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow.”
Veteran royal author Ingrid Seward wrote in My Mother and I: “That is completely untrue, of course, but it was how Harry chose to see it and allow it to dominate his life to the extent that he would eventually make a career out of it.
“He chooses to be a victim and wreak vengeance on the slights he thought he had suffered; on his family; on the press and through the courts.”
According to the Daily Mail, being a ‘spare’ also “gave Harry a greater license to act as he pleased”.
Speaking of how members of the family took to Harry’s “childish antics” – as well as his period of “extensive partying”.
Ms Seward wrote: “He would play the fool and get away with childish antics such as standing behind visitors and pulling funny faces behind their backs to make William laugh when he had to meet them.
“Both Charles and Diana were amused rather than annoyed by his antics, and even the Queen, so critical of William in his infancy, regarded Harry with grandmotherly tolerance.”
Speaking with PEOPLE exclusively ahead of the book’s release in early 2023, Harry said his one hope with releasing Spare is to “turn my pain into purpose,” adding, “If sharing my experience makes a positive difference in someone’s life, well, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than that!”
Discussing his hopes for his family’s takeaway from the book, Harry said: “I don’t want to tell anyone what to think of it and that includes my family. This book and its truths are in many ways a continuation of my own mental health journey. It’s a raw account of my life – the good, the bad and everything in between.”