Three years ago today, the Royal Family was shaken to its core by the publication of Prince Harry's explosive autobiography, Spare. The book, released on 10 January 2023, made global headlines with its intimate and often damning revelations about life inside the House of Windsor.
The Bombshells That Defined a Memoir
The Duke of Sussex's memoir levelled serious accusations at his closest relatives. He described a physical altercation with his brother, Prince William, alleging he was pushed into a dog bowl during an argument about Meghan Markle. He suggested his father, King Charles, felt jealousy towards William and Kate, and claimed Charles refused Meghan permission to join the family in Scotland as Queen Elizabeth II lay dying.
This literary event followed a series of public revelations from the Sussexes, including their headline-grabbing 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and their 2022 Netflix documentary series. While many expected Spare to expand on these previous claims, readers were surprised to find some of the most incendiary topics were omitted entirely, while other accounts appeared to contradict earlier statements.
An updated paperback version of the memoir, which has sold more than six million copies, was released in October 2025 without new chapters, a move widely interpreted as a potential olive branch to the royal family.
Notable Omissions and Shifting Narratives
The Unmentioned Racism Allegation
One of the most seismic claims from the Oprah interview was the allegation that an unnamed senior royal had expressed 'concerns and conversations about how dark' their son Archie's skin might be. This prompted a rare public rebuttal from Prince William, who stated, 'We are very much not a racist family.'
Despite the global furore, this specific incident found no mention in Harry's memoir. Furthermore, during a promotional interview with ITV's Tom Bradby, Harry appeared to backtrack, snapping 'no I didn't' when told he had accused his family of racism, blaming the press instead. He reframed the issue, speaking of 'the difference between racism and unconscious bias'.
Mental Health Help: A Claim Softened?
In the Oprah interview and the Netflix series, Meghan claimed she was prevented by 'the institution' from seeking professional help for her suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy, fearing 'how that would look'.
While Harry wrote movingly in Spare about finding Meghan sobbing and his own devastation, the specific allegation that the family blocked her from getting help was not repeated in the book. He detailed how they attended an event at the Royal Albert Hall that same evening because Meghan 'didn't trust herself to be at home alone', but the earlier, more institutional accusation was absent.
The Sandringham 'Screaming' That Wasn't
The Netflix series featured Harry's claim that Prince William 'screamed and shouted' at him during the critical 'Sandringham Summit' in January 2020, leaving him 'terrified'.
The memoir's account of that same meeting is markedly different. Harry wrote only that William 'complained about a story in the morning papers'. He described a later conversation in the gardens where he was 'braced for a lecture', but found William 'subdued' and willing to listen, leaving Harry 'so grateful'. The dramatic language of terror and screaming was conspicuously missing.
Confusion Over Personal Details
Other personal anecdotes shifted across the couple's various tell-alls. Meghan told Oprah they were married privately three days before their Windsor ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In Spare, Harry clarified this was an 'unofficial, non-binding' ceremony of vows.
The story of their first meeting also evolved. Initially described as a blind date, they later revealed on Netflix they had FaceTimed beforehand. Harry's book mentions only messaging before their first date at 76 Dean Street in Soho.
Even Meghan's first-date outfit became a point of contradiction. Harry recalled her wearing a 'black sweatshirt, jeans and heels', calling her 'chic' and 'heart-attack beautiful'. Yet, Meghan has stated she wore a blue dress, even having a piece of its fabric sewn into her wedding veil as her 'something blue'. Harry does note she wore a blue dress on their second date, suggesting possible confusion.
A Legacy of Questions
Three years on, Spare remains a defining document of the modern royal rift. Its publication was a pivotal moment, yet the discrepancies between its contents and the Sussexes' prior televised revelations continue to fuel debate. The omissions on key, sensitive issues have led to questions about strategy, narrative control, and the evolving relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the family they left behind. The memoir, for all its detail, left a complex legacy of both revelation and unresolved contradiction.
