LONDON — Whatever the reviews, the numbers are in, and they are unprecedented. “Spare”, Prince Harry’s memoir of royal life, grief and grievance, sold 1.4 million copies in English on its first day across the United States, Britain and Canada — the largest first-day figure ever recorded for a non-fiction book, its publisher Penguin Random House said on Wednesday.
The book’s arrival was itself a media event without modern precedent. Leaks from Spanish copies, accidentally sold early, dominated front pages for days before publication: the prince’s account of losing his virginity, his drug use, a physical altercation with his brother, and his claim to have killed 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan — the last drawing condemnation from military figures and delight from the Taliban’s own spokesmen.
Then came the interviews: two television specials in Britain and the United States on Sunday night, in which Harry said he wanted his father and brother back but accused the royal household of briefing against him and his wife Meghan. The palace, true to form, has said nothing.
Booksellers reported queues at midnight openings — a scene the industry associates with Harry Potter, not royal biography. The audiobook, read by the prince himself, has also set records.
The publishing question now is endurance: first-day sales measure curiosity, not consensus. But Penguin Random House, reported to have paid an advance in the region of twenty million dollars, will not be worried. In one day, “Spare” earned back a substantial part of the gamble — and rewrote the record book while doing it.
Media-Society.com is a press network association based in Spain, founded in 2020. More at www.media-society.com.
