Prince Harry’s memoir launch raises expectations among royals

There has been no official statement from any of the British royal palaces about Prince Harry’s memoir. And there probably won’t be. But we can imagine that it is certainly the source of much buzz within the palace gates — and there must be a certain fear about its contents.

The fear would have increased on Thursday (27), when the publisher released the cover of the book, revealing an unfinished and untouched close-up of Harry’s face, accompanied simply by his name and the title “Spare” (which in Brazil will be called “What’s left”).

It is a clear reference to a nickname the Duke lived with while growing up. He was the “spare heir” or “leftover”, the second son of royal parents, with a duty to intervene on behalf of his older brother, but who could hardly assume the throne. Other “leftovers”, whose place in the line of succession became even more distant after subsequent royal births, include the Queen’s late sister Princess Margaret and Prince Andrew.

If there was any doubt that the biography would look back rather than to the future, at the risk of exposing the life of royalty, it evaporated with the press release that accompanied the cover, which read: “With your sheer honesty and unyielding, ‘What’s Left’ is a historic publication filled with ideas, revelations, self-reflection and hard-won wisdom from the victory of love over pain”.

The word “revelations” rang loud in the royal ears, as it certainly refers to the most sensitive moment in the modern monarchy: the death of Harry’s mother Diana, when there was a fierce public reaction to the family’s response.

“’What’s Left’ immediately takes readers back to one of the most heartbreaking images of the 20th century: two boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin, as the world watched in sadness — and horror. When Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions of people wondered what the princes must have been thinking and feeling, and how their lives would continue from there,” the press release continues.

“For Harry, this is finally his story.”

The book will bring the Duke’s truth, his perspective, his unfiltered experiences. Freedom is something that both he and his wife have expressed repeatedly as a life goal. Meghan touched on the topic in her recent interview with Variety magazine, saying, “I think feeling understood and seen is very important.”

Many people will want to learn from Harry’s experience. Publisher Penguin Random House suggests it will be an inspiring read rather than a depressing one. Markus Dohle, the publisher’s executive director, said it was a “heartfelt and emotionally powerful story for readers around the world.”

Prince Harry “shares a remarkably moving personal journey, from trauma to healing, that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world,” he added.

The question for Harry’s relatives is what is the extent of the family history revelations and how this might affect the institution the new king is trying to build.

Harry never criticized his grandmother while she was on the throne. Is the care over now that she’s passed away? At this point, no one knows what is written, apart from the Duke’s inner circle and a few heavyweights from the publishing world. As far as we know, no one else has had access to the book.

Of course, there may be nothing serious in the work. It can be a very focused personal reflection on the fact that he is the spare heir – a notoriously complicated and undefined royal position, in which the heir sees diminished chances of achieving the throne and yet still has to fulfill all the intense expectations that come with it. with the name Windsor.

The very fact that we don’t know is what makes the launch destabilizing for the palace, which had hoped to focus its efforts on establishing Charles as king and preparing for the coronation in May. Instead, there is the potential for a book bomb in the air. The work arrives in bookstores around the world from January 10, 2023.

news of the week

The first image of a British monarch and its new prime minister is always historic. Add to that the fact that King Charles III has only been reigning for a month and is already receiving the second person in office. And remember that Rishi Sunak is the first non-white British prime minister. It all adds up to a series of symbolisms in a single photograph that moved some people.

The image is about something the king wants to achieve with his reign: ensuring that he is representative of the nation today, regardless of his background or beliefs, as he promised in his first speech.

Journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera never thought he would see a British prime minister of Asian descent. “In my childhood, people of my color weren’t even allowed to become teachers in Wolverhampton. There were protests,” Sanghera told CNN .

“It is in this environment that Rishi Sunak’s parents and my parents arrived. Moving from that point to a non-white prime minister is huge. A huge shift in attitudes in British society. It’s incredible.”

His best-selling book “Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain” urges the country to confront its colonial history, which continues to echo in society. contemporary british. Sanghera said seeing the image of the king with Sunak felt “quite natural” despite being unprecedented.

“Charles has a really long history of relationships with interfaith, interracial communities. He did a lot of really good work bringing the communities together,” he said. Still, according to the writer, that doesn’t mean Charles doesn’t need to do anything else. She hopes the king will use his role as head of state “to bring the people together”.

Sanghera thinks next year’s coronation could be an opportunity to talk about a divisive topic: the Koh-i-noor diamond, a gemstone unearthed in south-central India before ending up in British hands in 1849. the perfect opportunity to talk about the legacies of colonialism, about what the world wants to talk about. India wants to talk about it. But we buried our heads in the sand.”

So while Sanghera feels the moment between Charles and Sunak has been “inspiring,” he hopes it’s just the impetus for a broader conversation about imperialism, which “is not fading, it’s getting more and more pressing.”

photo of the week

The first pressed 50p coins with the portrait of King Charles III, made at the Royal Mint Ltd (the Mint) in Pontyclun, UK, on ​​Thursday (27). Coins featuring King Charles III are due to enter circulation before Christmas in the UK, where they will be used alongside existing coins representing Queen Elizabeth II.

what else is happening

Anne shocked by school fire

Princess Anne was “shocked” by a fire at a school for visually impaired children in Uganda, just before the date she was supposed to visit the site. Anne was in the country on a four-day visit this week and was due to visit Salama school for the blind in Mukono district as part of her role as patron of Sense International. A fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, killing 11 students, the institution said on Twitter.

“I was shocked to hear the news of the tragic loss of life,” Princess Anne declared. “Sense International’s work in many countries is immensely appreciated in working with such a vulnerable group of children. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and staff.”

King and Camilla’s birthday cards are sent

The king and queen consort’s first birthday cards were handed out to hundreds of people celebrating their 100th and 105th birthdays, according to the British monarchy’s website. Several World War II veterans were among the recipients of the new cards.

The movement continues the well-known tradition started by King George V in 1917 of paying tribute to individuals on their 100th birthday. During Elizabeth II’s reign, around 1.3 million letters were sent to birthdays across the UK, British Overseas Kingdoms and Territories.

The new cards feature a photograph of the King and Queen Consort taken in the summer of 2018.

Princess of Wales becomes patron of polar expedition

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has become a patron of the expedition of a British Army officer who may be the first woman to cross Antarctica alone. Kate’s royal support for Captain Preet Chandi’s Antarctic trip, which is expected to travel more than 1,000 kilometers in November, is the latest in the royal family’s long history of supporting polar expeditions.

“My goal on this expedition has always been to inspire people to push their limits. I want to take people on this trip with me, to help them believe that nothing is impossible,” Chandi said in a statement released by Kensington Palace. “It is an absolute privilege to have the Princess of Wales as a patron,” she added.

Chandi was the first woman of color to reach the South Pole alone in January 2021. The custom of royal sponsorship of daring feats of travel began in 1901, when Edward VII sponsored Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery Expedition, the first official exploration of Antarctica. .

Did you know?

Over the years, the British people have come to know and love many of the Queen’s quirks: her corgi dogs, her wave, her hats. But it wasn’t until the nation gathered for her funeral that they witnessed one of her lesser-known arrangements in life: the work of her piper, or Scottish piper.

The Sovereign Piper was a role established by Queen Victoria after she and her husband became enchanted by the sound of bagpipes on a trip to Scotland. Elizabeth II continued the tradition, being woken up every morning by the piper (or piper) under her window.

This week, the piper appeared for the first time since the queen’s funeral: Paul Burns, who holds the title of Pipe Major, played in the courtyard of Clarence House for the first time since Charles became king. The full report is here (in English).

“I think the great tragedy is the lack of professional education in schools. In fact, not all were designed for academic life”.

King Charles III

A new appearance by the monarch on the furniture and objects restoration show “The Repair Shop” was broadcast on British TV this week. The special episode was filmed in September 2021 and in March of that year, when Charles was still Prince of Wales. In the show, the future king asks the expert team to restore a Wemyss Ware pottery made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and then an 18th century “bracket clock” table clock that had been hastily repaired and had lost. your beep.

Charles warmly welcomed the artisans to Dumfries House, his stately home near Glasgow, Scotland. There, he presented some of the education programs run in the house and which are part of the Prince’s Foundation. He spoke at length with presenter Jay Blades about the importance of maintaining expertise in arts and crafts, the value of apprentices and how lives can be changed when supporting people through technical skills training.

In 2018, Charles opened the property on his 70th birthday to highlight his work and passions.