Readers have hailed Prince Harry’s explosive memoir as ‘raw’ and ‘well-written’ but said the ‘naughty’ king’s ‘moans’ should have stayed in the royal family – as the controversial tell-all book is finally in today, days after the copies the shelves come from it were leaked to the press.
Bookshops across the UK opened early this morning but queues were sparse after days of reports ahead of the book’s release – with just one person waiting outside Waterstones’ flagship branch in Piccadilly Circus, central London, when they arrived at 8am opened.
But those who have bought copies of the Duke of Sussex’s explosive autobiography Spare, ghostwritten by American author JR Moehringer, have praised its “detailed” and “compelling” and “shocking” narrative, while others cite its “Gordon- Ramsay Type” fainted. voice in the audio book.
Readers called the book “saucy,” “moving,” “emotional,” and even “racy” in its details, with one writing on Amazon: “The first thing that struck me about this book is that it’s beautifully written and rich of details is. How much of this is due to Prince Harry and how much to his ghostwriter I don’t know, but it’s clear that the prince is a…sensitive person.”
Copies of Harry’s memoir Spare are piled up at Foyles bookshop in London
Prince Harry’s explosive memoir was praised by readers as “well-written” and “eloquent” when the controversial tell-all book finally hit shelves today
The 10 things readers say about Harry’s memoir…
- Raw
- Well written
- Sensitive
- Cheeky
- Mandatory
- Moving
- moan
- Yummy
- Shocking
- Emotionally
Another said: “Harry comes across as very honest, open and human in his writing; To prefer family to institution…to put the well-being of his small family unit above duty to “it” and yet want to respect and serve that institution, he SHOULD have done so.
A third wrote: “I think he had to tell his story. I found myself quite moved in several sections.’
Shoppers who bought Harry’s book, Spare at WHSmith on Worcester High Street, were largely supportive of the ‘naughty’ king, but some said his moan should ‘keep in the family’.
Martin Cook, 76, a retired engineer from Worcester, said: “If my family had treated me like his family did, I would definitely disown them and put it in writing so there’s no mistake.”
George MacDougall, 94, said: “I’m sorry for him and his wife and their children that they had to go to California.”
But Barbara Gill, 66, of Dines Green in Worcester, a shop assistant, said: “It’s just normal family issues and should stay in the family. I’ve never seen a perfect family because they don’t exist. Harry is a little cheeky, but who isn’t. Life is not a cakewalk.’
At Waterstones in Edinburgh, Charmaine Laurie, 50, a bus driver bought a copy.
She said: “My personal opinion, no, I don’t think it was him [fairly treated]. It will be interesting to read.
“I think it’s good to get a little glimpse of what actually happens behind closed doors.”
Taking to Twitter, a user said: “The way Prince Harry writes is so heartfelt, descriptive, eloquent and emotional. His sentences, phrases and words are captivating, powerful and impactful. #Spare is well written.
Customers even raved about the voice of the Duke of Sussex in the audio book
A bookseller preparing an exhibition for Spare at Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street
Another tweeted: “I will listen [to] Prince Harry’s Spare Religious on Audible today. So far so good, plus he has a great reading voice.
A third wrote: “Prince Harry’s narration voice is perfect for the @calm app’s bedtime stories” – while another said: “I really recommend it, love hearing Prince Harry’s voice it is.” completely different experience. I went to bed at 3am and this morning my husband asked “What time did you get in bed?” “Hmm 2am?” “What on earth were you doing?!” Read”.
Spare, which was sold early by some bookshops in Spain, contains a series of bombastic revelations and private details about Harry’s life and family and has caused a furore for its claims that William physically assaulted him and killed 25 Taliban members in Afghanistan.
Caroline Lennon was the only one waiting to buy a copy at Waterstones in Piccadilly – Europe’s largest bookshop – after walking two miles from Bethnal Green in the East End to arrive at 6am.
The 59-year-old said: “I don’t care what anyone says. People will criticize me and say, ‘What an idiot you like Harry. What an idiot to queue up, but I don’t care what anyone says.
“My personal feeling about Harry and William is that they should bond. There is no love between them, there is no love with this family. He and William need to pull themselves together and make it up, for God’s sake. Life is too short.’
Ms Lennon recalled queuing to buy Andrew Morton’s biography of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1992, saying: “It was crazy. Everyone grabbed the books. But today I’m the only one!’
Posing for photographers as she left the store with her copy, she said, “I’m excited to hear the audiobook right away.”
Employees had stacked the bound copies of the memoirs on a circular display table in the center of the store after receiving them last Thursday. posters dubbed the autobiography, which sold for half the price of £14, “the memoir everyone’s talking about”. But only two other customers bought the book in the first hour of the store’s opening.
James Bradley, 61, from Hammersmith, west London, picked up a copy on his way to work to read when he goes on holiday with friends tomorrow.
He said: “He’s obviously very controversial and that book I think did Harry a lot of damage. I thought it would be a great Christmas present as everyone can discuss the book.”
Mr Bradley said the royal family would not be harmed by the book’s revelations, adding: “We’ve had decades of this.”
‘It’s good. It’s just more of the same,’ he said. “You just have to shrug and keep being the royal family.
“Following the Queen’s death, royal family stock has never been higher in my life and that’s just going to bounce off. In six months we won’t talk about it anymore. It’s a good distraction from strikes and all the troubles we’re having this terrible winter. It’s a bit of light entertainment.’
Mr Bradley added that he didn’t think Harry should have taken up his claims about the killing of 25 Taliban members during his two sorties with the British Army in Afghanistan.
“No soldier should ever talk about what he does in wars, especially killing other people and calling them pawns,” he said.
“The armed forces need to distance themselves from him and I think he will be hurt by that.”
Copies of Prince Harry’s new book on display in a London bookshop
Caroline Lennon, the first customer to buy a copy of Spare, leaves Waterstones in Piccadilly Circus this morning
Fiona Leviny, a 61-year-old farmer from Queensland, Australia, who was visiting London on holiday, said she bought Spare to “hear Harry’s story”.
“Harry and Meghan’s personal life has been published without their permission and I think now is the time to tell his story. Everyone else wrote about him except him,” she said. “I find it extraordinary that so much is being written about Harry and Meghan and I want to know the truth, that’s why I bought it and will read it. I love acting. i have to read it I need to know the truth.”
Ms Leviny added that in the interests of the monarchy, the Prince of Wales should not comment on anything in the book.
“William is heir to the throne and I believe, whether it’s old-fashioned or not, that since we have a monarch, he did the right thing by staying calm,” she said.
At WH Smith’s in Victoria Station, staff opened the doors at midnight to a swarm of reporters and customers, who gathered around stacks of the book seated on a table wrapped in sealed black packaging.
Copies were handed out to the first customers while photographers captured the moment before staff began labeling the copies at half price and stacking them on specially designed shelves near the front of the store.
Bartender Sasha Pursell, 27, who relocated to London from Melbourne, Australia, said outside the shop: “I’m just intrigued. I’ve heard so much press about the book and it’s a bit exciting too – I’ve never been to a midnight release.
Asked about the criticism surrounding the book, she said: “Yes, it can be seen as a betrayal of the royal family, but at the same time I feel like a lot of lies have been told about him.
“It can go both ways. I don’t think either party is right or wrong.’
Sarah Nakana, 46, a surveyor from Dulwich, south-east London, said she had already downloaded the audiobook when she picked up a copy and said she wanted to try “to get ahead of the British press and their narratives”.