In a newly-resurfaced excerpt from his memoir, "Spare," Prince Harry has shed light on the origin of his controversial nickname, revealing that it was his father, King Charles, who first referred to him as a "spare" upon his birth. The Duke of Sussex, 39, discussed his relationship with the monarch and shared the king's reaction to Princess Diana giving birth to a second son after Prince William.
According to Prince Harry, King Charles told Princess Diana, "Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done." The revelation has stunned royal fans worldwide, as the harsh nickname has long been a point of contention for the duke.
The Guardian newspaper noted that Prince Harry has always been resentful of the "spare" label, and his frustration is evident throughout the memoir. "Harry's resentment of being the 'spare' is the unifying theme of his book, through chapters on his childhood, his schooling, his career as a royal and in the British army, his relationship with his parents and brother and his life with Meghan through courtship, wedding and marriage to their own experience of parenthood," the outlet reported.
The memoir's title, "Spare," has been the subject of much discussion, with some considering it a bold choice that reflects the duke's feelings of being overlooked and undervalued within the royal family. The book delves into various aspects of Prince Harry's life, from his early years to his marriage to Meghan Markle and their decision to step back from their roles as senior royals.
As Prince Harry prepares to return to England in May, his first priority is reportedly to visit his father, King Charles, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. A royal source told The Mirror, "Harry's first priority when he comes to England is to see his sick dad. He is pretty focused on this. It will be his first port of call when he comes off the plane to try and spend as much time with King Charles so that they can build bridges, and enjoy each other's company like before."
The source added that Prince Harry is aware of the potential awkwardness of the situation but believes it is time to put pride and differences aside. The duke's visit will also focus on his charity work for the Invictus Games, but seeing his father will take precedence. "He wants the family to get back to the way they were and is going to be making extra effort with his brother Wills too, as difficult as it may be," the source said.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Princess Kate are reportedly trying to end their feud with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to royal author Tom Quinn. Speaking to The Mirror, Quinn claimed that while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex feel the need to extend an olive branch, Meghan's sense of grievance is preventing meaningful reconciliation.
"There has been a shift here since Kate's illness - Harry and Meghan do feel they need to extend an olive branch, but Meghan's sense of grievance is still preventing anything really meaningful happening," Quinn said. "Illness often brings warring family members together, and there have been hopes at Kensington Palace that Kate's illness might do it. Harry would like a reconciliation, but supports his wife completely and until she feels that the Royal family have been sufficiently nice to her - and grovelingly apologised for the past - it's not going to happen."
