"Spare" - Harry's Memoir

This outpouring was actually written by JR Moehringer, a prolific ghostwriter of celebrity memoirs. Harry got $25m from Penguin for the rights to "Spare". It's the culmination of a series of sadly ill advised, but eye wateringly money generating, publicity moves by the Sussexes, following on from their abdication from Royal duties. The Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, for which Meghan was allegedly paid between $7-9 million, was the embarrassing beginning. There followed a $100m deal with Netflix for a string of programmes, including their recent six-part docu-series, plus a $30m deal with Spotify for a podcast hosted by Meghan.

There has been a drip drip cumulative effect of the revelations - cleverly timed so they do not clash. It's very savvy PR to maximise income & exposure, keeping  the Sussexes at the top of the media & news for as long as possible. I'm sure Meghan's celebrity status meant that she had plenty of contacts to call on to master mind this whole sad fiasco. 

Before he left London, the Duke of Sussex was worth somewhere between $25 and $40 million, according to Celebrity net worth. But now, he and his wife have a combined net worth of a reported $60 million. So it's difficult not to see this public washing of "dirty linen" as simply a money making exercise.

It is hard to comprehend the logic & rationale behind all this given everything Harry has said about Press & Media privacy and intrusion in his mothers life & his. Or is the intrusion only acceptable if he is getting paid a lot of money? 

What else do the Sussexes, particularly Harry, have to say apart from the fact that they are angry with the royal family? Don't all families have arguments? Aren't we all p..... off with members of our immediate family at times. I can remember being really angry with my parents. I was an only child so wasn't a "spare", but trust me that has it's own problems. 

However hurt, upset or angry I was I would not have dreamt of doing what Harry has done to his family. Not that anyone would have been particularly interested because I had no status or celebrity. I cannot begin to imagine what the four members of Harry's immediate family are feeling. What he has done is deeply hurtful, unforgivable, childish, self absorbed & needy.

We all have s... in our lives & we have to learn from it & deal with it. For Harry to think that what he has done leaves much room for reconcilliation or "getting his brother & father back" seems frankly deluded.  Both Sussexes seem intent on dwelling on the past.

I'm also sceptical about the Sussexes launching themselves as global philanthropists. The Archewell Foundation includes the couple's "nonprofit" charitable foundation, as well as business divisions focusing on media production, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archewell  This followed from their Sussex Royal "brand" which ended because they were no longer Royal. I think they really have to decide what they are - A List celebrities or Ex Royals. If they are serious about Philanthropy they need to be credible to the millions of people who don't have their money or position, but do live with poverty, hunger, deprivation of basic needs, discrimination & war.

All of this is really sad. Harry & Meghan have alienated an awful lot of people by what they have done. I don't know if the stories of his PTSD & the controversial EMDR treatment is true. I wouldn't wish mental ill health on anyone, but it does seem to be a possible explanation for his otherwise surprising behaviour. 

PS

I've now watched most of the Bradby interview. The thing that stands out is how really good he is at the whole Media thing. He has obviously been schooled by someone who knows a lot about presentation & PR. The other thing is that he simply scatter guns accusations without a shred of evidence to back them up. It's all his "perception" of what occurred & we all know how unreliable memory is. Especially if it's someone who has suffered trauma from an early age. What he doesn't seem to comprehend is that he isn't doing himself any favours by revealing all. He acknowledges all the things that make him an unreliable witness - his mothers death (PTSD?), being a member of a uniquely dysfunctional Royal family, drinking to excess, taking class A drugs, fighting in a war (PTSD?), needing psychiatric help.....None of it makes him very balanced or a reliable source. But that is what he wants us to believe he is.

He has also led a very privileged & entitled life which bears little or no resemblance to that of most people. It seems to have made him quite self absorbed & gives him unrealistic expectations about people's behaviour. It's beyond belief that he really thinks that what he has done can lead to reconciliation. It's all very unedifying & sad.

I would like to have seen him be challenged by Bradby. I imagine that the Press & media will now come up with as much evidence as possible to counteract the accusations. So the Royals may well come out of this far better than Harry. I think he has "shot himself in the foot".