Prince Harry has opened up about his childhood and relationship with the Prince of Wales in his new memoir, Spare. In the book, the Duke of Sussex, 38, revealed that he was “brought into the world” as a ‘spare’ for his older brother, Prince William, 40.
Harry shared that his parents and grandparents even referred to him and his brother as the ‘heir and the spare’ as a form of ‘shorthand’.
He described his life as a “mission” to provide distraction, entertainment and, if needed, a spare organ part, such as a kidney, blood transfusion or bone marrow.
Two years younger than Prince William, Harry has opened up about being branded an ‘heir and spare’ from an early age. The father-of-two revealed that this idea was made abundantly clear throughout his life and was ‘regularly reinforced’.
To illustrate his point, Harry recounted an anecdote from when he was 20-years-old and heard a story about his father’s ‘supposed words’ to his mother, Princess Diana, on the day he was born.
King Charles III is reported to have declared to his wife ‘Wonderful! You have already given me an heir and a spare; I have done my job.’
According to sensational new book, Prince Harry divulged intimate details about his father’s health, including his neck and back pain partly attributed to the King’s polo injuries.
The Duke of Sussex also made several revelations about his brother William, including how he ‘recoiled’ from Meghan’s hug during their first encounter.
Prince Harry revealed William’s surprise at being hugged by Meghan when they first met, describing it as a “freaky” experience. The Duke of Sussex said his brother was a “bit dressed up” in smart trousers and a shirt when he answered the door, and Meghan leaned in to greet him with a hug.
Harry explained the unusual encounter, and said William wouldn’t usually hug someone he didn’t know, but it was just Meghan’s way of greeting strangers.