What the Acknowledgements in Spare Reveal About Prince Harry's Relationships
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Forget the contents of Spare. Yes, Prince Harry's memoir is filled with bombshell news and weird anecdotes, but what is perhaps most revealing comes after the book ends. In the acknowledgements, Harry thanks many people by name—140 to be exact. "The length of this list alone leaves me deeply humbled," Prince Harry begins.
Spare
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amazon.comHe starts with thanking a large team at Penguin Random House, calling his editor, Ben Greenberg, a "super-genius" and "all around top bloke." He also thanks the CEOs Markus Dohle and Madeline McIntosh of PRH global and U.S., respectively, "for the understanding as timelines changed, not once, but twice," indicating there have been delays in getting Spare to bookshelves.
But that's not the juicy part of the acknowledgements.
Harry writes, "To my mates in the U.K., who have stuck by me, who may not have seen it all clearly as it was happening, but who always saw me, knew me, stood by me—in amongst the fog—thank you for everything. And thank you for the laughs. Next round’s on me." However, none of these mates are named, keeping it vague as to who he still is in touch with in his home country.
In the next paragraph, Harry says, "love and thanks to friends and colleagues who helped jog my memory or else restored important details lost in the haze of youth," specifically naming Tania Jenkins and Mike Holding, whom he has called his second family in Botswana (he calls them "Teej and Mike" throughout the memoir), and Mark Dyer, Prince Charles's royal equerry who was a mentor figure to Harry. He then names "Thomas, Charlie, Bill, and Kevin," without last names.
From there, Harry thanks his military family. "To my entire military family, for challenging me, prodding me, encouraging me, and for always having my back," he writes. "I’ll always have yours. Special gratitude goes to Glenn Haughton and Spencer Wright, my two color sergeants from Sandhurst." Throughout Spare, it's clear how much Harry's military service, and identity as a soldier, means to him.
Then, Harry moves on to his Hollywood friends: "Thanks and hugs to Jennifer Rudolph Walsh for her always positive energy and soulful counsel," he writes. Walsh is the Head of Worldwide Literary, Speakers, and Conference Divisions at talent agency WME.
In the same sentence he mentions Walsh, he thanks Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Chris Martin, Nacho Figueras and Delphi Blaquier, and James Corden "for their unwavering friendship and support." Oprah is, of course, Oprah, and Tyler Perry has a close relationship with Harry and Meghan. Chris Martin refers to Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, and James Corden is the British comedian. Nacho Figueras is Harry's close friend, and polo teammate, and Delphi is his wife.
Harry then thanks a series of doctors and coaches, naming most except his UK therapist, who helped him "unravel years of unresolved trauma." Harry then acknowledges the "A Team," which is unclear, and the Archewell team, those working for his and Meghan's foundation. He then goes a bit vague, writing, "To Rick, Andrew, the two Tims, Matt, Jenny and team, David, my deepest thanks for your wisdom and guidance. You’re always there—whenever, however." Extremely unclear who these people are!
He ends with a series of big thanks. To his ghostwriter, J.R. Moehringer, Harry writes, "Thanks to my collaborator and friend, confessor and sometime sparring partner, J. R. Moehringer, who spoke to me so often and with such deep conviction about the beauty (and sacred obligation) of Memoir, and to all the faculty and students at the Moehringer-Welch Memoir Academy, including Shannon Welch, Gracie Moehringer, Augie Moehringer, John Stillman, Kit Rachlis, Amy Albert. Special thanks to Shannon for her countless reads and brilliant, incisive notes." Shannon Welch is Moehringer's wife, and we assume Gracie and Augie are likely their children. The Moehringer-Welch Memoir Academy is not a real academy. John Stillman and Kit Rachlis are both journalists; there are too many Amy Alberts online to figure out who she is.
From there, it's time to thank his family. Notably, Harry writes, "Stand out thanks to my mother’s siblings for their love, support, time, and perspective." He does not mention his father, or anyone in the royal family.
His penultimate acknowledgment thanks Meghan, their children, and his mother-in-law Doria, "Above all my deepest and adoringest thanks to Archie and Lili, for letting Papa go off to read and think and reflect, to my mother-in-law (a.k.a. Grandma), and to my incredible wife, for too many millions of gifts and sacrifices, great and small, to ever enumerate. Love of my life, thank you, thank you, thank you. This book would’ve been impossible (logistically, physically, emotionally, spiritually) without you. Most things would be impossible without you. And to you, the reader: Thank you for wanting to know my story in my words. I am so grateful to be able to share it thus far."
He ends thanking the reader.
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