Prince Harry's cruel nickname he 'always resented' was 'underlying theme' of his memoir

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives to the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on June 6, 2023. Prince Harry is expected to take the witness stand as part of claims against a British tabloid publisher, the latest in his legal battles with the press. King Charles III's younger son will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than a century when he testifies against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Harry vented his frustrations at the nickname in his memoir -Credit:AFP via Getty Images


Prince Harry has always harboured resentment for a cruel nickname given to him as a baby, which became the "underlying theme" of his explosive memoir where he vented his frustrations.

The Duke of Sussex disclosed who first called him 'spare' following his birth. A recently revisited excerpt from his memoir reveals that it was his father, King Charles, who initially used the term according to reports in the Mirror.

The Guardian underscored Harry's enduring bitterness towards his nickname and how it fuelled the "frustration" in his memoir. The publication noted: "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."

Charles' somewhat dismissive moniker for his second son originated when the late Princess Diana gave birth to Harry. Her then husband Charles is believed to have said to her: "Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done."

Meanwhile, it is suggested that Prince Harry's first visit upon returning to England in May will be to his father who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

Harry is reportedly eager to repair family ties and, according to a Royal insider, is set to make visiting his sick father the top priority upon landing in the UK. Flying in from California to fulfil his Invictus Games commitments, he aims to maximise the occasion by squeezing in some quality time with relatives.

An undisclosed source revealed to the Mirror: "Harry's first priority when he comes to England is to see his sick dad. He is pretty focused on this. It will be his first port of call when he comes off the plane to try and spend as much time with King Charles so that they can build bridges, and enjoy each other's company like before."

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They continued: "Harry knows it will be awkward, but it's a time to put pride and differences to one side. He is coming over for his charity work, which is so important to him so he will juggle his schedule accordingly, but seeing his dad will come first. He' wants the family to get back to the way they were and is going to be making extra effort with his brother Wills too, as difficult as it may be. Now, more than ever, with Kate's cancer diagnosis too, Harry wants them to know he is there for them."

During his last visit to the UK, Harry had a brief 30-minute meeting with his father who was on the cusp of undergoing cancer treatment. Despite the fleeting nature of the encounter, Harry was said to be grateful just for the chance to see him.

According to a source, Prince William and Kate Middleton are making efforts to repair their relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, amidst longstanding tension within the Royal family; particularly between the Dukes and Duchess of Sussex and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Royal expert Tom Quinn revealed how he thinks Meghan may not be ready to make amends despite William and Kate's initiatives. He stated to the Mirror: "There has been a shift here since Kate's illness Harry and Meghan do feel they need to extend an olive branch, but Meghan's sense of grievance is still preventing anything really meaningful happening. Illness often brings warring family members together, and there have been hopes at Kensington Palace that Kate's illness might do it."

He added: "Harry would like a reconciliation, but supports his wife completely and until she feels that the Royal family have been sufficiently nice to her and grovellingly apologised for the past - it's not going to happen."

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