A certain book

TerriBull

I think the inference that Harry was born not only as a "spare" but in case anything went wrong with William sounded all a bit like Jodi Picoult's book "My Sister's Keeper". Anyone who has read that will know what I mean.

Well, there would be a whole long list of Royals in line for the top job had something happened to William, heaven forbid, had Harry not been born!

If I was Prince William I would be seething.How dare he make comments like that about their children. It seems he's held back some more 'revelations' and intends a follow up book.This is after the Netflix declaration that now they had told their story they were looking to the future.He obviously meant future mega bucks.

I wonder what he’ll call his next book?

I ordered one via Waterstones for my friend in Australia. I hope she will receive it - I haven’t heard anything from her. Cost me quite a bit , including postage 😂

Joseanne

This evening in the Telegraph from an interview with Bryony Gordon,

The Duke also revealed that he felt “responsibility” to reform the monarchy for the sake of Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four. “I know that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare,” he said. “And that hurts, it worries me.”
He admitted that the notion frustrated Prince William, adding: “He has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility.”

What ever next?

Oh dear.
Rishi would not be impressed with Harry’s maths
Three minus one = two .

And indeed Williams children are not Harry’s responsibility. Whouda thunk it?

Baggs, well done you! You beat me to the punch. I won't buy it because I don't keep birds. And I think Oprah and some others may be buying thousands of copies for support or to give to friends.

And a good job too. The further H stays away from W & K's children, the better.

This evening in the Telegraph from an interview with Bryony Gordon,

The Duke also revealed that he felt “responsibility” to reform the monarchy for the sake of Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four. “I know that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare,” he said. “And that hurts, it worries me.”
He admitted that the notion frustrated Prince William, adding: “He has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility.”

What ever next?

Yes I've read that book TerriBull and know what you mean.

There's a big difference between misremembering and 'remembering' in great detail something that didn't, and couldn't possibly have happened.

I think the inference that Harry was born not only as a "spare" but in case anything went wrong with William sounded all a bit like Jodi Picoult's book "My Sister's Keeper". Anyone who has read that will know what I mean.

MawtheMerrier

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

😁
She seems happy so he must be doing something right.

Mind you, the children seem a delight 🙂

Why do you wonder that Glorianny. The number of posts on GN querying whether his recollections are actually true or his truth, his whole truth and nothing but (except where he’s suddenly noticed a discrepancy) his truth, because they know that memories are exactly what you posted?

Glorianny

I do wonder what sort of discussions go on in GNers families. Have you never had one of those where someone remembers an event, and another family member immediately contradicts them and says it didn't happen the way they said it did? Sometimes it will even expand to include more members who will each give their own version of events, some of these may match in some parts but they will all differ slightly. Or do some of you have families with identical memories of everything. If so I think that is much more creepy than any discrepancies, and if anything it sounds a bit robotic. Human minds differ, memories differ, experiences are remembered differently. It's part of being human.

I think that's the whole point it's typical family dynamics of members viewing inevitable gripes from a different perspective. Who in their right mind would want all of that put under public scrutiny.

Is this for real?
Writing in his memoir, Harry alleged that it was made "abundantly clear" while he had been growing up that he had been born in case something happened to William and this idea was "regularly reinforced" throughout his life
Harry said: "I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. "
He described his life as a "mission to offer a source of distraction, entertainment and, in case of need, a spare part", such as an organ donation, blood transfusion or bone marrow

I know he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer but surely even Harry knows this is just a turn of phrase - “An heir and a spare” going back to the days when infant mortality was more common, everyday illnesses could prove fatal and young men often met violent ends.
It does not literally mean a spare! If it did, that would have applied equally to anybody with younger siblings!

Actually when you think about it, it was not infrequently number 2 son who succeeded - Henry VIII , George V and George VI among others

MawtheMerrier

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

I think before Meghan came on the scene, Cressida Bonas pretty much said that, something along the lines of she was always running along trying to keep up with him whilst he was striding several paces ahead moaning and groaning

But was he that miserable and grumpy before they met?

Joseanne

varian

If Harry thinks it's unkind for people to make fun of his book, can he not see that he's been rather unkind to his family?

I think that is his problem. Too blinkered, too self centered, too thick.

I suppose it's all about him

How dare anyone have an opinion after he's told them what to believe? Good thing he's not going to be King as he's obviously not tolerant of anyone who doesn't think what he wants them to believe.

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

What I find weird is that, although his book has sold a lot of copies, the majority of people won't be reading it in its entirety for whatever reason. Most of them will be reading snippets from newspapers and on social media. So how can he get cross that this will be the way people perceive him? Or will he just be arrogant and blame that on journalists too?
I'd like to know his take Mollygo.

I expect so, Glorianny and we have discussed this either on this thread or one of the very many others.

However, my DC don't tend to write one-sided books with misremembered anecdotes which can be easily disproved or give interviews on national TV, Netflix etc.

Well, not yet, anyway!

I used to have a nightmare where Harry and one of my DD met and fell in love 😲

Mr Grace has given us an account which seems to be just as realistic, just as valid, just as "truthful"

I do wonder what sort of discussions go on in GNers families. Have you never had one of those where someone remembers an event, and another family member immediately contradicts them and says it didn't happen the way they said it did? Sometimes it will even expand to include more members who will each give their own version of events, some of these may match in some parts but they will all differ slightly. Or do some of you have families with identical memories of everything. If so I think that is much more creepy than any discrepancies, and if anything it sounds a bit robotic. Human minds differ, memories differ, experiences are remembered differently. It's part of being human.

Mollygo

SueDonim

I don’t need to read it as I’ve read John Crack’s précis.
Thanks for the link.
Have you seen Harry’s comment about the unkindness of people making fun of his book?

No, not seen anything from Harry. I get most of my news about him and his book from Gransnet. Really, though, what did he expect? Does he want the Nobel Prize for Literature? You put something in the public domain, people are going to comment. As they say, you can’t control other people, you can only control your own reaction.

I’m also now wondering if Mr Crace is upset because Autocorrect changed his name in my earlier post!

Having noticed that most of us GNetters were, almost unanimously rather unsympathetic towards Prince Harry, I thought this might be an age thing. Us old ladies having been around a long time and seen a lot.

So today when I happened to speak to one of my daughters on the phone I asked her what she and her friends thought about poor Prince Harry.

Much the same.