Harry speaks to US and UK media outlets to promote book

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Prince Harry is speaking to global media outlets to promote his book "Spare" and isn’t sparing any detail about his dysfunctional family life.


We learned that he has not spoken to his brother or father in private for some time, and he appeared to be sending pleas to make up throughout his interviews.

He saved some of his harshest comments for Camilla, Queen consort, who he labelled the “evil stepmother”, who was “dangerous” because she was out to rehabilitate her image with the public after being the “third person” in Charles and Diana’s marriage.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/pri ... 5cb68.html

The Book release is scheduled for today 10th Jan. In addition to the 30m pounds paid in advance from publishing house Penguin Books, he will receive royalties from the 28 pound pricetag which he plans to donate to charity
https://news.yahoo.com/spare-much-money ... 44558.html

For anyone not interested in reading the book, here is an enjoyably hostile summary:

https://www.unz.com/article/the-trouble-with-harry/

Prince Harry’s new memoir is as awful as you expected it to be. If you’ve already formed the impression that Harry is a whining brat and a woke narcissist, you will find much here to confirm that view. Indeed, if anything, he’s worse than you thought.

...

This book is more or less one long list of grievances against the world, frequently interrupted by excruciatingly detailed accounts of seemingly everything that ever happened to this unremarkable young man. It is impossible to parody Harry’s grievances, as many of them are so petty they are already the stuff of comedy. For example, at one point he complains that, when they were children, William’s room was larger than his. It is his brother who appears to be the family member Harry resents most, but “Pa” is also a major target.

The portrait of Charles that emerges is actually positive — but that doesn’t seem to have been Harry’s intention. He reports that sometimes, after dining with his father, he would go upstairs to his room and find a letter from Charles on his pillow, saying how proud he was of something Harry had accomplished. Had my own father done that, I would have been extremely touched, but it’s not good enough for Harry, who wondered “why he hadn’t said this moments ago, while seated directly across from me.” Charles, like the entire family, is reserved — but cold he is not. He addresses Harry as “darling boy” and dotes on him, dispensing wise advice and support that will probably impress most readers — but which is, again, not enough for the “darling boy” himself. One feels for Charles, as one feels for every parent who must deal with a child like this.

It's achieved it's goal though. The sales/publicity were mean't to make money. As with social media, even bad publicity = $$

Harry already made his decision to irrevocably sever links to the Windsors. He had his reasons, however inarticulate, poorly written and perhaps ill-thought as they were. He has new alliances in the US and he and his family will live a comfortable life as American celebrities.

I don't know who's doing the twisting here but that part, in chapter 15 on page 40, actually reads:
(talking about meetings arranged by Charles, between William and Camilla then Harry and Camilla)

 I recall wondering, right before the tea, if she'd be mean to me. If she'd be like all the wicked stepmothers in storybooks. But she wasn't. Like Willy, I did feel real gratitude for that.

later -

(Charles/Pa):
 So, what do you boys think?
 We thought he should be happy. Yes, Camilla had played a pivotal role in the unravelling of our parents' marriage, and yes, that meant she'd played a role in our mother's disappearance, but we understood that she'd been trapped like everyone else in the riptide of events. We didn't blame her, and in fact we'd gladly forgive her if she could make Pa happy.

later -

 Willy and I agreed that Pa deserved better. Apologies to Teddy, Pa deserved a proper companion. That was why, when asked, Willy and I promised Pa that we'd welcome Camilla into the family.
 The only thing we asked in return was that he not marry her. You don't need to remarry, we pleaded. It would make the whole country, the whole world, talk about Mummy, compare Mummy and Camilla, and nobody wanted that. Least of all Camilla.
 We support you, we said. We endorse Camilla, we said. Just please don't marry her. Just be together, Pa.
 He didn't answer.
 But she answered. Straightaway. Shortly after our private summits with her, she began to play the long game, a campaign aimed at marriage and eventually the Crown. (With Pa's blessing, we assumed.) Stories began to appear everywhere, in all the papers, about her private conversations with Willy, stories that contained pinpoint accurate details, none of which had come from Willy, of course.
 They could only have been leaked by the one other person present.
 And the leaking had obviously been abetted by the new spin doctor Camilla had talked Pa into hiring.

(end of chapter 15)

The part about there being three people in the marriage was mentioned shortly before the above quotes, as:

 My mother legendarily said there were three people in her marriage. But her maths was off.
 She left Willy and me out of the equation.

later -

 Now, with Mummy missing, the maths swung hard in Pa's favour. He was free to see the Other Woman, openly, as often as he liked. But seeing wasn't sufficient. Pa wanted to be public about it. He wanted to be above-board. And the first step towards that aim was to bring "the boys" into the fold.


I think it's a matter of common record that Camilla was viewed with some suspicion outside the family (mostly by the tabloid press), and the comparisons between her and Diana were made.
She worked to improve that situation - as might be expected. It's not unreasonable.

The "hostile summary" starts out with slitted, cynical eyes and doesn't improve any as the review continues. It's a wonder he could still read at all.
But it looks like he'd made up his mind in the first few chapters.

Of all the things someone could read...

And?
It's not like it's the only book available.

Precisely my point.

Keep trying - you're not quite snotty enough yet.

I can think of more interesting books I'd rather read.

Indeed, so can I, but this one is interesting enough at the moment - if only to get at what's said instead of what's published in tabloids.

Newsflash: It's actually possible to read several books on various topics. Astonishing, I know - but there it is.

If an adulteress can become queen consort to the British crown then when the commotion and publicity over Harry's book dies down he can quietly redeem himself with "Pa" and the British public. He's not Andrew after all.

And if an adulterer can become King...
I don't think marital status, or the broken versions of it, matters much anywhere these days.

Crikey yes - there's no coming back from that mess...

It would appear some sins > others

I would think that by throwing his father's life-long love under the bus, he's done quite a bit of damage to any hopes of reconciliation.

I feel bad for all of them. So many impossible situations to navigate.

As head of the Anglican church. Charles would be aware of the parable of the prodigal child. Charles is many things (and he may have been unnecessarily cruel to his son) but I am confident he will accept Harry back when he is ready to seek forgiveness.

Megan is another matter. But she is still the mother of Charles's grandchildren so my guess it will be a package deal when the time comes.

It seems to me that most of the Royal Family are pretty "regular" people who happen to be exposed to a lot of scrutiny.

They've all had advantages, certainly. But, in essence, most are people who would not be extraordinary were they not "Royals."

Would Harry have had a somewhat distinguished military career had he not been Prince Harry? Who knows?