Prince Harry's Memoir Title Is A 'Buzzkill,' 'Derogatory Term In Royal Circles': Royal Experts

The title of Prince Harry's upcoming memoir has received criticism from some royal experts and commentators.

Penguin Random House announced in a press release Thursday the title of Prince Harry's highly anticipated tell-all and its release date. His book "Spare" will be out early next year.

The memoir's title has since divided the internet, and royal expert Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast and author of "R is for Revenge Dress," is among those who are unimpressed by Prince Harry's choice.

"My reaction is, 'Spare me,'" she told Fox News Digital. "People have always been sympathetic towards Prince Harry's journey until Harry and Meghan started a never-ending tour of grievances. Here's hoping for a fresh start. [But] the title is such a buzzkill, dwelling on the past and the negative. Something we often see with Harry and Meghan."

Schofield claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "tend to stew in" the negative aspects of royal life, which the public may be tired of hearing about at this point.

"I would have loved to have seen something more uplifting. Harry had an incredible opportunity to start over in America and make a name for himself based on his own skills and charisma. It doesn't seem like that's the direction he's currently headed," she suggested.

Meanwhile, royal expert Duncan Larcombe, a biographer of Prince Harry's and a former royal editor for The Sun, told Fox News that "the spare" is "a derogatory term in royal circles."

Prince Harry was once right behind his older brother Prince William in the line of succession, but after the birth of the Prince of Wales' three children, the Duke of Sussex has since been pushed down.

The "Prince Harry: The Inside Story" author suggested that Prince Harry's decision to highlight this role in the title of his memoir could mean that his book will focus on his struggles living in Prince William's shadow — something the older royal could take issue with.

"The spare to the heir is someone who is not as important and as worthy as their older sibling," said Larcombe. "And that's certainly something that hasn't been a very easy role historically for Prince Harry but also Prince Andrew, Charles's brother, and of course, Princess Margaret, the queen's sister. So it kind of looks very clearly that Harry's intent on taking a kind of victim position, because he's giving the [title] a derogatory term, and presumably what will follow is a book about how hard it was being born in his brother's shadow."

Larcombe also suggested that the book cover, a close-up photo of Prince Harry, could mean that "this is Harry's work, he wants it all out there, and it's Harry that's going to lead the charge of publicity for it."

"If it's Meghan's influence, there's no sign of it yet," the royal biographer continued. "I think it will be very interesting to see if the tone of Harry's book is a continuation of their general attacks on the institution itself."

International Business Times could not independently verify the claims.

"Spare" will hit shelves on Jan. 10, 2023.