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Prince Harry has revealed that Princess Margaret only bought him a Biro with a rubber fish around it for Christmas one year, which he saw as “cold-blooded”, saying he thought he and his “Aunt Margo” should have been closer.
In his long-awaited memoir ‘Spare’, which was released today after a series of interviews and last month’s Netflix documentary series ‘Harry and Meghan’, Harry says his great-aunt was almost a ‘total stranger’ to him.
The Duke of Sussex describes a Christmas when the family was together at Sandringham opening presents and tells the story of a strange gift from Princess Margaret.
Opening the smallest present in his pile first, Harry discovered that the queen’s sister had bought him a pen with a small rubber fish wrapped around it, which he saw as “cold-blooded”.
Prince Harry has revealed that Princess Margaret only bought him a Biro with a rubber fish around it for Christmas one year. Left to right: The then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Margaret walk into the Kensington Conservatory.
Opening the smallest present in his pile first, Harry discovered that the Queen’s sister (pictured left, in 1993) had bought him a pen with a small rubber fish wrapped around it.
Harry adds that Margaret “didn’t have much of an opinion” of him.
And he writes that he didn’t “feel anything” for his great-aunt either, except pity, saying he usually tried to stay out of her way.
Princess Margaret died aged 71 in 2002 when Harry was 17. His health had deteriorated over the last 20 years of his life, partly as a result of heavy smoking.
He had pneumonia in 1993 and suffered three strokes between 1998 and 2001. He died shortly after of a fourth stroke.
But the prince also shared his wish that he had been closer to Margaret, as they had a lot in common in that they were both their older brother’s ‘spare’ with similar ‘rivalry’ and ‘intense competition’.
He says: ‘We had a lot in common. Two spare parts. His relationship with Granny was not exactly analogous to mine with Willy, but close enough.’
As Margaret got worse, Harry began to wish he had had more time to get to know her.
The Duke also draws comparisons between Margaret and her mother Diana, as both rebelled against traditional expectations set by the crown.
Spare’s ‘explosive’ pages include allegations of a physical fight with his older brother, Prince William, at Nottingham Cottage in 2019, as well as another disagreement shortly after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021.
Spare’s ‘exploding’ pages also include allegations of a physical fight with his older brother, Prince William, at Nottingham Cottage in 2019 (pictured together on September 10).
Princess Margaret died aged 71 in 2002 when Harry was 17. His health had deteriorated over the last 20 years of his life.
Caroline Lennon, the first customer to buy a copy of Spare, the Duke of Sussex’s newly released autobiography, poses for photographers with her copy of the book as she leaves Waterstones Piccadilly, London.
The official release of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare appears to have been something of a wet squib, with minimal fan enthusiasm.
The Duke of Sussex describes a stand-up fight that ended with the Prince of Wales grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground, breaking a dog bowl with his back.
Harry also includes personal stories, admitting to drug use, having a penis frozen at William and Kate’s wedding, and detailing how he lost his virginity.
The long-awaited 416-page book is waiting for buyers today and is selling for half price for £14 at Waterstones, WH Smith and on Amazon.
It is dedicated to his wife Meghan, their children Archie and Lilibet, and their late mother Diana and is published in 16 languages.
Bookshops opened early this morning for the launch of Prince Harry’s memoir, but instead of a rush of customers, staff hardly saw anyone turn up.
Caroline Lennon, 59, was the only one waiting to buy Spare after walking two miles from Bethnal Green in the East End to queue since 6am.
Most of the book’s most devastating revelations were documented before its official release, through the Duke of Sussex’s PR blitz, interviews with Tom Bradby and Anderson Cooper, as well as the leak of a Spanish-language version of the memoir. .
World of Books says the title is almost sold out, currently selling for £33.39, while WH Smith and Amazon are selling Spare for £14, half the original price.
The release comes after the Spanish edition of the book En La Sombra (‘In The Shadow’) was leaked on February 5, despite ultra-secure fixes in place, and after a series of revealing interviews.
It was pulled from shelves within hours, but not before the world had access to its contents, detailing the tensions between Harry and other members of the royal family and personal stories about the Prince’s life.