In 2020, Prins Harry made a drastic decision that changed not only his own life, but also the foundations of the British royal family forever. He chose to retire as an active member of the royal family, due to a long-standing personal struggle with his role within the monarchy. In his candid autobiography, entitled ‘Spare’, Prince Harry takes us on a journey through his life, both behind and in front of the palace walls. The book sheds light on the many challenges, intense media attention and profound identity crisis he has struggled with, and shows a different perspective on royal life than that normally shown publicly.
“Harry was born into the spotlight of the global media and was known as a prince, but his personal identity was far more complex and fragmented than anything the world has ever seen.”
In his book, he reveals the origins of his nickname ‘Spike’, which he earned during a gap year in Australia in 2003.
Throughout the year, he hid his true identity and worked undercover as a ‘jackaroo’ on the remote farm called Tooloombilla Station.
His short spiky haircut and changing his accent to better fit into the local culture led to the creation of this special nickname.
These nicknames, which included Haz, Baz and Scrawny, were coined by friends and palace staff alike and functioned as a source of individuality and a momentary escape from his royal identity.
Prince Harry describes the multitude of names assigned to him as a complex hall of mirrors, in which his authentic identity was increasingly obscured by the entanglement of his public and private personas.
Harry’s upbringing was atypical, even within royal circles, with strict rules that emphasized emotional distance and prevented him from building a close bond with his parents, often causing him to experience a sense of loneliness and abandonment.
He describes in detail how he was taught from an early age to maintain an emotional ‘buffer zone’ between himself and others, constantly being alert to avoid intense emotional bonds to protect his own well-being.
This regal rule of distance applied both in private situations and in public, where a discreet distance had to be maintained at all times, even during public events such as royal receptions and formal ceremonies.
This deep emotional and physical distance imposed on him as a result of his childhood traumas has had a lasting impact on his ability to form spontaneous relationships and develop a natural self-understanding, ultimately contributing to his long-term search for a more authentic form of self-expression.
In his memoirs, Harry speaks candidly about his role within the royal family, often described as ‘the spare’, in contrast to his older brother Prince William, who is known as ‘the heir apparent’ to the throne.
This designation, although modest at first glance, revealed both the privileges that came with it and the limitations that came with it.
It gave him space to choose part of his own path, but also brought with it a sense of inferiority, because he always knew that his role in the royal legacy was secondary to that of his older brother, the intended heir to the throne.
The complex dynamics at play in royal life provide a deep insight into the less visible aspects of the royal family, with the preferential treatment of the heir expressed in both striking and subtle ways.
