Spare 'has done much more damage than is yet understood': royal biographer
By Karishma Sarkari|
Prince Harry's tell-all memoir Spare, released last month, shattered sales records and shocked fans for its level of detail.
Now, one royal expert has warned the true extent of the Duke of Sussex's numerous allegations จC including the planting of stories and plotting between aides of different palaces จC is yet to come.
"I actually think that that book has done much more damage than is yet understood," British author Catherine Mayer said at a Foreign Press Association Q&A in London on Thursday.
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As a royal reporter, author of a biography on then-Prince Charles and now working with Camilla, Queen Consort through the Women of the World foundation, Mayer has had a first-hand look behind palace gates, with invites to private events with the royals.
Even with all that access, Mayer still marvels at the level of disclosure from Prince Harry and his revelations in the book. ?
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"I also think it's a much more interesting historical document than is understood," she told the room full of journalists.
"Given the paucity of sources that we as journalists have, it's really interesting to look at the less sensational bits of that book, because they tell you a lot about - even if you know that famous phrase 'recollections may differ' - but a lot of the stuff about how things work in the Palace and about conversations that went on, that stuff is really incredible.
"And it gives you this insight that damages them [the monarchy] not just in terms of seeing a very dysfunctional family, though that is huge. Because... they don't want that question [being asked] about 'what's the point of them'.
"One of the points of them was supposed to be that they presented an idealised version of the nation back to itself.
"Instead, here in this one case, they're actually mirroring the nation in a way they really wouldn't want to, which is what happened in the 90s where there was that rash of divorces - you know, there was a rise in divorces at that time [in the UK] and the royal family led the trend.
"Now they're showing that kind of scrappy, fractious [family] and that people with mental health issues are not getting the support that they need.
"And in terms of racism, that's an incredibly potent accusation," she added.
While the British royal family have remained silent about the claims in both Spare as well as Harry & Meghan, the couple's Netflix docuseries, Mayer says the impact on the monarchy will be longer-lasting.
The royal biographer adds that it's not something King Charles can move-on quickly from and certainly not in time for the Coronation, which is less than 100 days away.
"I don't think that they're going to get over it easily," she said.
The royal reporter also believes there will be more to come from Meghan in relation to the racism allegations first raised during the Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021.
"I also don't think that that story [racisim allegations] is finished... Meghan will be doing her memoir soon."
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