Prince Harry's ‘Spare’ sets record for first-day sales with 1.4 million copies sold amid royal fallout
Prince Harry's tell-all memoir 'Spare' is his latest public project speaking out against royal family
Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti discusses Prince Harry's memoir and the new dynamic within the Royal Family.
Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir "Spare" has been flying off the shelves since its highly anticipated release.
First-day sales for the controversial book topped 1.4 million copies, according to publishing company Penguin Random House.
Harry's book was penned to give readers an inside look into Harry’s personal life as he opened up about grieving his mother’s death in 1997 and his long-simmering resentment at the role of royal "spare," overshadowed by the "heir" – older brother Prince William.
He recounted arguments and a physical altercation with William, revealed how he lost his virginity and confessed to using illicit drugs.
Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir "Spare" has been flying off the shelves since it’s highly anticipated release. (Getty/Penguin Random House / Getty Images)
Sales for "Spare" include hardcover, audiobook and e-book editions sold worldwide, including in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
"The first full day of sales of ‘Spare’ represents the largest first-day sales total for any nonfiction book ever published by Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade publisher," the publisher shared in a statement to People.
The Duke of Sussex's memoir is "the story of someone we may have thought we already knew, but now we can truly come to understand Prince Harry through his own words," Gina Centrello, president and publisher of the Random House Group, said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
The book's global release date was Jan. 10 and is priced at $36 in the United States.
Sales for "Spare" include hardcover, audiobook and e-book editions sold worldwide. (AP Photo / AP Images)
Since Harry and wife Meghan Markle announced they were taking "a step back" as senior members of the royal family, the pair have been releasing several public projects, while speaking out against the monarchy.
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In 2021, they spoke about their decision to leave with Oprah Winfrey in an interview that was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke with Oprah Winfrey in an interview that was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally. (Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions via AP / AP Images)
Harry and Markle released a tell-all docuseries on Netflix on Dec. 8, 2022.
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Like a dark cloud, the release of "Spare" has loomed over the king's upcoming coronation in May. Harry’s father became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was 96.
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Royal commentator Jonathan Sacerdoti told Fox News Digital that the royal family is said to be "quite angry" with Harry’s latest actions. He noted that King Charles’ response was clear when he recently altered proceedings in his coronation.
"Even if Harry and Meghan are invited, one would expect that they would find a polite way not to attend after all the trouble they have caused," he said. "But one can never quite predict their behavior. … [The royals] have to act carefully. … By not reacting publicly, they are at least leaving open the possibility that things can calm down. This allows the possibility of conversations to take place in the future, which might allow some form of reconciliation."
Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.