Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” is the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever as it breaks UK sales record on first day of release.
Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” became the UK’s fastest selling non-fiction book ever, recording figures of 400,000 copies so far across hardback, ebook and audio formats on its first day of publication, its publisher said on Tuesday.
This comes after days of TV interviews, leaks, and a mistaken early release of the memoir containing intimate revelations about the British royal family.
Larry Finlay, managing director of Transworld Penguin Random House, said: “We always knew this book would fly but it is exceeding even our most bullish expectations.
“As far as we know, the only books to have sold more in their first day are those starring the other Harry (Potter).”
Queues of fans developed before shops opened at 12am Tuesday morning for the official release of the controversial memoir.
A handful of people waited outside the doors of WH Smith in London’s Victoria station to be one of the first to buy a copy of the book – which has made headlines across the world with bombshell revelations about the Royal Family and was leaked and sold early by some booksellers in Spain.
Crowds of photographers, camera operators and reporters captured the moment that the first customers were handed copies of the memoir.
Despite having a retail price of £28, many shops, including Waterstones and WH Smith are selling it at half price. It is also available for £14 on Amazon.
The Duke of Sussex has used the 550-plus pages of Spare to make headline-dominating claims including accusing William of physically attacking him and teasing him about his panic attacks, saying King Charles put his own interests above Harry’s and, in a US broadcast interview, branding Camilla as the “villain” and “dangerous”.
But as a well-connected individual, the book is also packed with celebrity cameos, from the Spice Girls to Courteney Cox.
“Spare” is the latest revelatory offering from Harry and his wife Meghan since they stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California to forge a new life, and follows their Netflix documentary last month.
The royal family has not commented on the book or the interviews and is unlikely to do so.
SEE KEY REVELATIONS IN PRINCE HARRY’S BOOK
- The duke admits to using cocaine – saying “it wasn’t very fun”
- He claims to have killed 25 people in Afghanistan during his two tours of duty.
- He says he asked his father not to marry Camilla – and his brother made the same request.
- He describes how King Charles told him Meghan should not go to Balmoral after the Queen’s death.
- He recalled the moment he found out his mother, Princess Diana, had been in a car accident.
- He says he lost his virginity to an older woman in a field behind a busy pub.
- He accuses Prince William of knocking him over during an argument about the Duchess of Sussex.
