Prince Harry’s decision to forgo interviews for the paperback release of Spare has been linked to its underwhelming sales, according to royal commentators.
Despite the memoir’s earlier success, the updated edition, released on October 24, struggled to capture attention, ranking a disappointing 73rd in the UK charts.
In its second week, Spare sold only 3,000 copies, far below expectations and well outside the Official UK Top 50.
The paperback edition, published by Penguin Random House, remained unchanged from its original release, with no added content or updates.
This lack of fresh material, combined with Harry’s choice to avoid any promotional interviews, may have contributed to its weak performance.
Although major royal developments have occurred over the past year—including King Charles’s cancer diagnosis and Harry’s brief visits to London—Spare remained static in its paperback form.
Nevertheless, Penguin Random House is pushing ahead with its international release, set to be published in 16 languages worldwide.
Some observers believe Harry’s choice not to add new revelations in the paperback edition of Spare may be seen as a gesture of reconciliation towards his royal family.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggests that despite the book’s lackluster sales, Harry will not be particularly upset by the outcome.
Bond told OK magazine, “I don’t think he will be particularly fazed by this. He made an awful lot of money from the original contract and, whatever he says, he is already a very wealthy man.”
She added that Harry’s decision to write Spare was never primarily about financial gain.
Instead, it appears his focus was on telling his story, with the intention to move forward, even if it didn’t lead to massive sales in the paperback edition.
