'Spare' -- Prince Harry to release memoir in January

Prince Harry will release a tell-all memoir in January, his publisher said Thursday, with the highly-anticipated account of life in the British monarchy and after he quit royal duties landing just four months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The book by Harry -- who now lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle -- comes at a sensitive time.

There has been intense speculation that prince could draw back the veil on palace life and offer damaging revelations, or pull his punches in the aftermath of Elizabeth's death as Britain adjusts to its new head of state, King Charles III.

Titled "Spare," the memoir will hit the shelves on January 10, 2023.

"We are excited to announce the remarkably personal and emotionally powerful story of Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex," Penguin Random House said on Twitter.

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On its website, the book is described as a window into how the prince responded to the death of his mother Diana 25 years ago, and how his life has been affected since.

"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," Pengun Random said.

Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a high-speed car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Britain was plunged into an outpouring of grief that jolted the monarchy, which was seen by some as out of touch.

In addition to the title refering to Harry's apparent bid to lead a more simple, less ritzy lifestyle, it also alludes to his status as the "spare" to his older brother Prince William's role as "heir" to the British throne.

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Harry and Meghan stunned his family by announcing they were quitting royal duties and moving to the United States in early 2020.

From there, they launched a series of broadsides criticizing their life in the institution, including claims of racism and the Crown's failure to support them amid relentless tabloid attacks.

Their public criticisms exacerbated tensions with William -- with whom he is reported to be barely on speaking terms -- and their father, King Charles.

Harry and Meghan now live with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in Santa Barbara, California.

'Highs and lows'

In July last year, Harry announced he was penning a memoir that would expose the "mistakes" and "lessons learned" across his life.

"I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become," Harry said at the time.

"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."

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He said he was "excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that's accurate and wholly truthful."

But any additional unflattering and candid remarks -- beyond those Harry made during a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey last year -- about the royal family after the queen's death might backfire.

"Prince Harry has gotten cold feet about the memoir's contents at various points, book industry executives with knowledge of the process told The Times, and the project has been shrouded in rumors, delays and secrecy," The New York Times reported.

Harry will use proceeds from the memoir, which will be released in 16 languages, to donate to British charities, the publisher added.

Source: AFP