Explore the most thought-provoking Spare book club questions for Prince Harry’s memoir. It’s the massively bestselling, record-breaking memoir book everyone is talking about. You’ll foster meaningful discussion and get free printable book club questions to use as a book club resource at your in-person meeting. Let’s get literary!
Quick Spare Summary With Themes
In his tell-all celebrity memoir, Spare, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, gets personal on everything from his mom, the late Princess Diana, and his lifelong grief of her death to the events that led to his brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, becoming his archnemesis; difficult conversations he had with his father, King Charles III, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II; his time in the British military; his disdain for the British tabloid culture; rumors about Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales; and of course, his marriage to Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, “Megxit,” and becoming a father to Archie and Lillibet.
Spare, published by Penguin Random House, is a popular book club book that offers such themes for discussion as grief and loss, mental health and therapy, the media and paparazzi, royalty/the monarchy and duties, family conflict, love, identity, and military service.
Reading Tip: If you haven’t yet read Spare for your book club, I recommend reading this memoir as an audiobook, narrated by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex himself, for a more immersive reading experience for such a personal book. You can also pair this book with Netflix’s Harry & Meghan documentary and/or Oprah Winfrey Interview.
Watch Harry and Meghan speak with Oprah on Youtube:
Spare Book Club Questions
What did you expect to read before reading Spare?
Were your expectations met, or were they different after reading Spare?
What do you think Prince Harry’s intention was in publishing Spare?
Do you think Prince Harry achieved his intention in publishing Spare?
In what book format did you read Spare, and did you enjoy this format?
Do you think Spare was the right title for this memoir?
Do you believe that Prince Harry always did feel like a “spare,” or that this was a convenient title?
Prince Harry’s face features dominantly on the book cover. What do you make of this choice?
If you were to select the book cover for Spare, what would you select?
Describe Spare in one word/phrase/sentence.
Describe Prince Harry in one word/phrase/sentence.
Is your description of Prince Harry different than it would have been before you read Spare?
Do you view anyone in the royal family differently after reading Spare?
Did you learn anything new in Spare?
Spare is comprised of three distinct parts. Did any one part, in particular, stand out to you?
Spare begins at the time of Princess Diana’s death and ends at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s death. Do you think this was intentional? Why?
How does Prince Harry view his mother?
Hypothetically speaking, how may Harry’s life have been different if his mother had not died?
What theme(s) dominated Spare from your perspective as a reader?
Spare was written with/by a ghostwriter. How did this impact your experience?
Was Spare unfairly biased or one-sided?
Do you believe the accounts in Spare were all true?
Discuss the role of perspective in this memoir.
Discuss the role of grief in Prince Harry’s life.
Discuss how the royal family managed (or mismanaged) grief.
Discuss the role of the media in Prince Harry’s life.
Do you believe the media printed false stories and/or colluded with the royals against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
Discuss the role of fame in Prince Harry’s life.
Discuss the role of race in this memoir.
Prince Harry spends a lot of time discussing his military service in Afghanistan in the British Army. What significance did it have in his life?
Prince Harry does not discuss his childhood (pre-Princess Diana’s death) in Spare. Why do you think he made this choice?
Did anything in Spare shock you?
Prince Harry has a lot of nicknames. Which one was your favorite?
Prince Harry discusses his private life (and parts) a lot in this memoir. Why do you think he did this?
Did your opinion of Prince Harry or anyone else change after reading Spare?
In many ways, Spare is a memoir of a dysfunctional family. In what ways was the royal family dysfunctional?
How did therapy change Prince Harry?
Do you think the royal family read Spare and, if so, what do you think their reactions were?
What one story told in Spare was most memorable to you?
Did you watch Prince Harry’s Netflix special, Oprah interview, etc., and, if so, how did that impact your reading experience?
Spare has received a lot of criticism. Is it warranted?
If you could ask Prince Harry one question after reading Spare, what would it be?
Do you think Prince Harry is happy now?
Do you think Prince Harry will reconcile with the royal family?
Who else’s perspectives would you like to hear on the events discussed in Spare?
What is your view of life as a royal?
Does the monarchy need to change?
Does the royal family need to change?
What do you think is next for Prince Harry?
Is there anything you wish was included in Spare that was not discussed?
Do you think reading Spare was “worth it”?
Printable PDF Reading Guide of the Discussion Questions
Book Club Books to Read Next
If you loved these Spare book club questions and want to read a similar book club book next, check out these The Woman in Me discussion questions for Britney Spear’s memoir.
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
The Royals were just over the top. They treated Harry and Megan like Pariahs. Damn them! Harry represented the spirit of America’s revolution. I won’t go into detail as everyone should already know this story. Good Luck Harry and family.