Prince Harry Released a New Edition of 'Spare' & I Noticed an Interesting Detail

Could this be an olive branch?

Published Oct 23, 2024

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5:45pm

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It feels like it was only yesterday when Spare, Prince Harry's tell-all memoir, first hit bookshelves. Not only did it skyrocket to the top of bestseller lists, but according to Guinness World Records, it made history as the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time. Since then, several excerpts have made the rounds and caused quite a stir in the royal family. But now, the Duke of Sussex has dropped a brand-new edition of the book.

Fans will be glad to know that they can now purchase paperback copies of the memoir. And while it's quite common for paperback editions to include new features—like revisions, forwards and additional chapters—the book's publisher, Penguin Random House, confirmed that "the contents of the book are unchanged."

Now, this may not strike you as odd, but I suspect the decision to keep the book's contents the same has a deeper meaning.

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First off, it's worth noting that Prince Harry has been quite open about his desire to reconcile with the royal family, despite accusations of using his book to exploit his family’s privacy. Per Fox News, he told The Telegraph in 2023 that his memoir is not meant to "collapse the monarchy." And during an interview with ITV News anchor Tom Bradby in that same year, he opened up about his intentions to mend fences with the royals. He said, “The door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they're willing to sit down and talk about it.”

The prince even confirmed that reconciliation “would be wonderful for us, but it would be fantastic for them as well.” So, it makes total sense why the prince would refrain from adding any new details to his controversial memoir. Perhaps this is yet another small step towards making things right with the royal family—and I suspect the royal family is also taking note.

Rachel Bowie, PureWow's resident royal expert, has also weighed in when it comes to the memoir's impact on Prince Harry's relationships with the royals. She wrote, "One of Harry’s claims is that his family never bothered to listen to his perspective on the treatment of his wife and son ahead of his exit in January 2020. Post-memoir, I’d like to think they’re listening now. The coming months provide plenty of opportunity for outreach and work to be done."

Sure, the release of the paperback edition without any new dramatic details may seem like a minor gesture, but I'd like to think it doubles as a small olive branch—Prince Harry's small way of confirming that he's ready to put the past behind him and move forward.

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Nakeisha Campbell

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
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