There really is nothing like the announcement of a tell-all celebrity memoir to get the internet all riled up. Whether an actor or sportsperson, singer or politician, we just can’t help but be enticed by the promise of juicy bombshells and insider scoops about our favourite stars.

So it’s no wonder, then, that even the slightest promise of a behind-the-scenes look at the most famous family in the world has sent social media timelines into complete chaos.

Yesterday (27 October), publisher Penguin Random House finally announced the title and release date of Prince Harry’s long-awaited memoir.

Spare, publishing on 10 January 2023, promises to be a “remarkably personal and emotionally powerful story” told with “raw, unflinching honesty” charting the prince’s life from the loss of his mother to the birth of his two children.

Just six hours after the announcement, the book was already at number 7 on the Amazon US bestsellers list and has sold out on its website. 

While it describes itself as “a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief”, it’s already clear that many readers will be looking for something else in the text.

If there’s one thing we can say, it’s: buckle in. According to Random House, Spare will include Harry’s full account behind his decision to give up royal duties and move to the US in 2020.

“As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling – and how their lives would play out…” the publisher’s website reads. “For Harry, this is his story at last.”

In keeping with the undeniably provocative title, when the book deal was announced back in 2021, the prince promised he would reflect “the highs and lows” and be “accurate and wholly truthful”.

Therefore, it’s likely that it will set the record straight on a number of issues, including his rumoured feud with his brother, Prince William, and his wife Kate Middleton, and the racist treatment of his son and wife by the British tabloids.

The prince previously spoke out about the fraught relationship between him and his brother on Oprah with Meghan and Harry, where he told the host: “I was trapped, but I didn’t know I was trapped.”

“My father and my brother, they are trapped,” Harry said, lifting the veil on the constraints the couple felt as members of the royal family. “It’s a very trapping environment that a lot of them are stuck in,” he added at another point in the broadcast.

However, it is not yet clear if or how the book will tackle the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension of Harry’s father, King Charles, to the throne.

Predictably, the internet was quickly divided into two camps following the announcement, and Harry painted as both victim and villain.

“The royalist meltdown has started,” shared one user on Twitter.

However, there was undoubtedly plenty of support for the prince, too.

“No more ‘It is believed’ and ‘royal expert claims’ and ‘sources close to …’ and all that nonsense. Harry is owning his narrative and I’m here for it,” another tweeted.

Buckingham Palace, however, said it would not comment on the book announcement.

Spare will be released on 10 January 2023, with some of the proceeds from the book going to charity.

Mark your calendars, indeed.

Images: Getty