The Biggest Revelations from Prince Harry's BookSpare2 Years After Its Release

Mar. 15, 2025

Random House; Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty

Prince Harrydidn’t hold back in his memoirSpare.

The unprecedented book, which was released two years ago on Jan. 10, 2023, gives a candid look at the Duke of Sussex’s life in the royal spotlight.

In addition to discussing his motherPrincess Diana’s death and how it affected him growing up, he also details his strained relationship withvarious members of the royal family, including his brotherPrince William.

Speaking with PEOPLE exclusivelyahead of the book’s release, Harry said his one hope with releasingSpareis to “turn my pain into purpose,” adding, “If sharing my experience makes a positive difference in someone’s life, well, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than that!”

As for what he hopes hisfamily’s takeaway is from his memoir, he said: “I don’t want to tell anyone what to think of it and that includes my family. This book and its truths are in many ways a continuation of my own mental health journey. It’s a raw account of my life — the good, the bad and everything in between.”

In October 2024,Sparewasreleased in paperback, with Penguin Random House confirming that the contents of the book remained “unchanged” in the new edition.

Read ahead for the biggest revelations from Prince Harry’s book.

The book jacket of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’.PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Prince Harry dubs his brother Prince William his ‘archnemesis’

In a preview from Prince Harry’sGood Morning Americainterview, host Michael Strahan inquired about his choice of wording for his brother Prince William, noting howhe calls him his “beloved brother” and his “archnemesis"in the book.

Prince Harry says that King Charles declared him a “spare” on the day he was born

David Levenson/Getty Images

“Early on, Harry recounts the story of how his father, now King Charles, supposedly said to his wife,Princess Diana, on the day of Harry’s birth: ‘Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done,’ “The Guardianreported.

The U.K. outlet adds that Harry’s “resentment of being the ‘spare’ " is a “unifying theme” of the book.

Prince Harry drove through the tunnel where his mother Princess Diana died at the same speed

InPEOPLE’s exclusive excerpt from Harry’s memoir, he recounted the emotional moment he drove through the same Paris tunnel wherehis mother died in 1997, purposely asking the driver to drive at the same speed she was going when her andboyfriend Dodi Fayed’s car crashed.

“It had been a very bad idea,” he recalled in the book. “I’d had plenty of bad ideas in my twenty-three years, but this one was uniquely ill-conceived. I’d told myself that I wanted closure, but I didn’t really. Deep down, I’d hoped to feel in that tunnel what I’d felt when JLP gave me the police files—disbelief. Doubt. Instead, that was the night all doubt fell away.”

He continued, “I go the closure I was pretending to seek. I got it in spades. And now I’d never be able to get rid of it.”

Prince Harry and Prince William asked Charles not to marry Camilla

Kate with Camilla, Harry and Andrew in 2011.

Prince Harry recalled that he and his brother were initially resistant to the idea of their father marrying Camilla Parker-Bowles, following their parents' divorce and the death of their mother Diana in 1997.

The couple eventually tied the knot in 2005; Camilla received the title Duchess of Cornwall after their wedding and now is Queen followingQueen Elizabeth’s death in September.

Prince Harry claims Prince William and Kate Middleton encouraged him to wear his Nazi costume in 2005

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In his memoir,Harry reflected on the controversial Nazi costumehe wore in 2005, claiming that it was actuallyWilliam and Kate who encouraged him to wear it.

Prince Harry said that the Prince and Princess of Wales “howled with laughter” when they saw him in the outfit in 2005. The outlet also reports that Harry claims he debated between dressing as a Nazi or a pilot for the “Native and Colonial”-themed costume party, and asked William and Kate for advice.

“I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said,” Harry writes, saying he brought the costume home and tried it on. “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”

Prince Harry felt he lost his brother ‘forever’ after his wedding to Kate Middleton

Prince Harry and Prince William.Andrew Milligan/Getty

Prince Harry recalled thatPrince William’s wedding to Katefelt like “yet another farewell.”

“The brother I’d escorted into Westminster Abbey that morning was gone — forever,” Prince Harry wrote. “Who could deny it? He’d never again be first and foremost Willy. We’d never again ride together across the Lesotho countryside with capes blowing behind us. We’d never again share a horsey-smelling cottage while learning to fly. Who shall separate us? Life, that’s who.”

Kate, who gave birth to her third childPrince Louisone month before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s nuptials, decided to raise the prior conversation with Meghan.

Meghan had previously discussed thedispute over bridesmaid dressesin her 2021 interview withOprah Winfrey. After media outlets reported that Meghan made Kate cry in the lead-up to the royal wedding overPrincess Charlotte’s dress, Meghan gave her version of events. “The reverse happened,” she said.

“And I don’t say this to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something. But she owned it, and she apologized and brought me flowers and a note apologizing,” Meghan said.

Prince Harry claims Prince William attacked him during a heated argument over Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Christmas 2017.Chris Jackson/Getty Images

InSpare,Harry detailed a specific argument with his brotherin 2019 which reportedly turned physically violent.

Prince Harry claimed the argument started when Prince William called Meghan “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive,” to which Harry replied that his brother was simply “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his wife.

Harry then accused his brother of acting like an heir, after which insults were exchanged. William reportedly claimed he was just trying to help.

“Are you serious?” Harry said in reply. “Help me? Sorry – is that what you call this? Helping me?”

“He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast,” Harry wrote in his book.

source: people.com