The holiday season brought out a lot of media attention for Prince Harry, from the release of his Netflix documentary “Harry and Meghan” on December 8, 2022, to his memoir “Spare,” released on January 10.
Because of the bombshells he revealed in the documentary and his highly anticipated book, as well as his media appearances, many people were eager to see how the royal family would handle the criticism and their return to the public eye after the Christmas holiday.
During Harry’s interview last week on television with anchor/comedian Stephen Colbert, Harry said that his family and the British media were trying to undermine his memoir. He said that after decades of the royal family telling their story, he was telling the world his side.
Despite his claims, there appears to be no evidence that Buckingham Palace is trying to sabotage his book, and there has been silence from royal family members whenever the subject of the memoir is raised.
As senior members of the royal family return to the limelight, they have immersed themselves in their first engagements of 2023.
Two days after the release of “Spare,” the King embarked on his royal engagements, with his first appearance being in Scotland, where he talked and laughed with members of the public at an event meant to reduce rural loneliness.
On the same day, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, visited the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and appeared calm. They also visited Open Door, a mental health charity organization in Merseyside.
Questions by the press about Prince Harry and the comments he made in “Spare” went unanswered.
Since the memoir’s release, senior royals have fully jumped into their royal duties, showing up to schools, hospitals, and charities, among other royal patronages.
“Spare” has broken records. Its publisher announced on Tuesday, January 17, that the book had sold three-quarters of a million copies in the UK in the first week of its release. According to Transworld Penguin Random House Managing Director Larry Finlay, “Spare” sold so many books on its first day that it became the publishing house’s fastest-selling nonfiction book on the first day of release. Guinness World Records also confirmed that record.
Even though the book has such popularity, the royal family appears unconcerned and has chosen not to issue statements or cancel events due to the allegations made against them. Instead, they chose to focus on their work in the hopes of mending any damage the book may have done.
Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles III’s coronation will be a three-day event. Details about the coronation reveal that this time, the ceremony will be modernized to include members of the public.
The main event will happen on May 6, 2023, when the religious event of the coronation will occur, but instead of the three hours that Queen Elizabeth II went through, King Charles opted to shorten the church event.
Sunday, May 7 will be dubbed “the coronation big lunch” and then, a “coronation concert.” The last day will be “the big help out,” where the public will be encouraged to join in the celebrations by volunteering in their communities.
It is still unclear whether Prince Harry and Meghan will be invited to the coronation.
