Prince Harry reveals which royal first called him 'spare' - and it's not who you think
Prince Harry's memoir Spare outlined his personal grievances against the Royal Family, which apparently began from birth.
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Prince Harry has revealed that it was his father King Charles who originally gave him the 'spare' label, as he shared the story in his memoir of the same name.
Princess Diana gave birth to their second son Harry in September 1984, with Charles making a surprising comment about the new royal baby.
In Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote that his dad's reaction to his arrival was: "Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done."
According to The Guardian, Harry's frustration at the nickname in his book is clear, saying: "Harry's resentment of being the 'spare' is the underlying theme of his book, through chapters on his childhood, his schooling, his career as a royal and in the British Army, his relationship with his parents and brother, and his life with Meghan through courtship, wedding, and marriage, to their own experience of parenthood."
Prince William too comes under fire in the memoir, with the pair reportedly barely on speaking terms and the Prince of Wales reportedly keen to keep his brother away from royal life.
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Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! magazine: "William has always been a strong character. I think his broken childhood made him tough and resolute.
"He now has the reputation of being stubborn and, once his mind is made up, he sticks to his decision.
"Obviously, as heir to the throne, his word carries a lot of weight in the family and I think it's true that he has been prepared to take a tough stand on a number of issues, including Andrew and Harry."
Royal expert Michael Cole told GB News that he did not see Harry and William ever reconciling anytime soon, explaining: "I don't think there's any chance at all of a reconciliation with the brothers now or in the foreseeable future.
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"It goes back to the Oprah Winfrey interview, then the book Spare and all the things that were said in the Netflix six-part series. Too much bad blood and William is not going to forgive."
Back in 2019 there were already cracks forming between the once close brothers, with Harry's paranoia over the press also getting in the way of their relationship.
During a trip to southern Africa, Harry and Meghan appeared to be struggling, with a documentary about their trip making headlines when it was released.
According to Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, William reached out to his brother once the interview aired and while Harry was initially open to talk, he soon changed his mind when he responded with two words: "Don't come."
Mr Low wrote: "The day after the documentary aired, William WhatsApped his brother to ask if he could come and see him. Initially, Harry was in favour. Then he spoke to his brother again and asked him whom he would tell.
"William explained that he'd have to clear his schedule, which would mean telling his private secretary. At that point, Harry told him: Don't come.
"He was so concerned that William's team would leak the visit to the press that he would rather not see his brother than risk it getting into the papers."
