Prince Harry Discloses Which Member of the Royal Family First Called to Him a ‘Spare’
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Gary Miller
Prince Harry announced with startling candor in his memoir Spare, which was published the previous year, which Royal Family member initially bestowed upon him the rather pessimistic moniker. As it turned out, it was none other than King Charles who first called his son a ‘spare.’ According to Harry, his father’s response upon learning that he had a second son was as follows: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done.”
Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Tim Graham
As per The Guardian, Prince Harry has seemingly harbored a lifelong grudge against his moniker, detailing his frustration with being the ‘spare’ in his memoir. The newspaper also spoke about how royal families employed the phrase ‘an heir and a spare’ to designate the progeny of a title or estate. The junior sibling—the ‘spare’—is ‘second is therefore a spare, should anything happen to the first-born.’ Presently estranged from their counterparts in Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have an exceptionally fraught relationship with the Royal Family.
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Regarding the book, the newspaper stated: “Harry’s resentment of being the ‘spare’ is the underlying 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.”
While the memoir details many explosive fights and arguments between members of the firm, Prince Harry has also been in the limelight for his philanthropic efforts. Following the 2014 establishment of the wildly successful Invictus Games, the Duke of Sussex, who currently resides in the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom next month. According to a royal source, Harry will be visiting his father as soon as he returns.
A source recently informed 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. Harry knows it will be awkward, but it’s a time to put pride and differences to one side. He is coming over for his charity work, which is so important to him so he will juggle his schedule accordingly, but seeing his dad will come first.”
A 30-minute encounter was arranged for Harry during his most recent visit with his father, who was undergoing cancer treatment. Regardless of the brief duration, Harry reportedly appreciated the opportunity to see him. The insider further added, “He’ wants the family to get back to the way they were and is going to be making extra effort with his brother Will, too, as difficult as it may be. Now, more than ever, with Kate’s cancer diagnosis too, Harry wants them to know he is there for them.”
