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‘Spare’ on my mind

Spare’’ is the title of the book written by Prince Harry, the son of British King Charles III today. He describes it as ‘’the story ‘’ of his life ‘’thus far in my words’’. He speaks bluntly about his highs and lows. It falls short of what’s the essence—what is behind it. Left at that makes the effort banal. I am not intending to fill that gap to pretend reviewing it.

Rather fill in some omitted back­grounds. I doubt he wanted this to as if to ease his life’s present pre­dicaments, as seen from the outside as if to explain himself, difficulties within royalty. That then hopefully addresses his country and the world which loves him. The reason is he is loveable in many ways—ahead longishly in boldness, humane and once engaged he would wish to be defaulted to keep the momentum, it seems on his own terms, oblivious clearly of where he and his wife, each hails.

That makes it a story of two innocent youngsters in the middle of apparent conflict between conven­tional expectations and ‘’DIY’’[Do it yourself]. The last might reinforce the monarchy brought to the door-step, instead of perhaps remains as the ancient Greek mythology’s ‘’Oracula’’. Still, it is central lead to a second remiss that sums up any young person’s insatiable search to understand . Harry got doubly lost from military service hero ‘’felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress [his moth­er’s]…And above all, he couldn’t find true love’’, his book’s slim-line cover states.

These stalk the whole lot about him within. William Shakespeare’s ‘’all life is a stage with entrances and exits’’ is better lit by ‘’that they may be one’’ [Jesus]. But the spanner in the wheel is the alleged ‘’racism’’ felt, some obnoxious the civility tortures itself globally. The confu­sion teethers causally, between why misunderstood and imposed ‘’Half a league onward’’ because that is so from the family strictures. On my mind the scenario for Harry is like comparing with the realms which the French poet novelist and playwright Victor Hugo wrote represented in ‘’Les Miserables’’ written in 1862.

You may drop the recall. But let us take the future briefly from a re­cent: King Charles III, titular Head of the Commonwealth, having just succeeded his mother, Queen Eliza­beth II. His coronation few months away like his eldest son William’s investiture as Prince of Wales later, following his Dad but taking up historically his grand uncle Edward VIII’s, who had opted to abdicate to marry a Canadian divorcee Spencer, a maiden-namesake of King Charles III’s wife Princess Diana, Harry’s mother. The years-ago edict was struck down during the years of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ mother’s reign, longest. The Princess Diana Charles’ wife died in car accident, reportedly in Paris. The then Prince Charles flew to bring back Diana for burial. The tragedy shook the world which remains sceptical. The couple [Prince Charles and Princess Diana] had had difficulties priorly and the person allegedly cited then is present ‘’Queen Consort’’ by the order of the late Queen. I date the real beginning for Harry’s life story from then to date.

There had been several reviews unended yet. Short of repeti­tive, I believe there are too many statements outside of the pouring of the thunder, strife and little worthies drawn. Which highlights are home, the monarchy, and the hounding press, About home, concerns involves siblings’-rela­tionships and the one indisputable that for every child a new parent is a usurper. The second feeds an intense sense of betrayal that overarches domestic behaviour and conducts all things in degrees of that subtly and awkwardly. No other ‘half ’ of the decoupled and re-trying can confess it is easy.

Therefore, fancy a boy of 12 with his siblings slow-march, his mother in the coffin. Trauma-im­pact and showing symptoms of loneliness. And bound to be held together. You add up the resent­ment of what has seemingly stuck in his mind about that other wom­an as source of his mother’s driven into that peculiar difference. He kicks and ‘there could have been ‘’there he goes’’ is the reaction. It is not improbable to accelerated his in the vacuum pushed into iso­lation and resolve to passive resis­tance and also in the environment of the bad press, said to be bent on sensationalism for circulation, populism etc . Results? Could lead to alienated. He found a sanctu­ary, kind of in Meghan and all the Medics. No wonder, Harry pays so much gratitude to all the Med­ics. The goings-on are a night­mare to the new pair management, because it has infected siblings and the household. For a Palace, no one wants to talk. But it’s right to presume the Palace showed con­crete than enough interest. Yet, the silence spun a systemic rumour press mill.

Throughout the post-Diana period, it does likely look like that, it was miserable, not far off unfair to state but with fairest circum­spection said. The public song and dance seldom happen though. This is the magic of royalty every­where–togetherness. In Harry’s case it is plausible to argue that the situation led a decision to marry away from his turf a fait accompli. Logically, it could be escapism or rebellion. Neither per se, pleases the Establishment. If he implies equate that as another facet of rac­ism, it is not succinct in the book except the ‘’Oprah joint inter­view’’. Simultaneously reasonable that digression to marry outside of the conventional in addition to love, could be intent on a swipe, too unlikely, tempted to debate cynically. And that departure for a conservative monarchist coun­try, it is defiance.

I sat-felt bad when Meghan walked a lonely figure that long Ailes to mid-way for Charles to join her to the precincts of the altar about mid-2018 and handed her over to Harry who said: ‘’thanks Dad.’’ It sounded like déjà vu et entendu double. And the homily by the Darkie Evan­gelical Prelate spoke to the global hearts, suspecting a brewed or in the offing ethnicity conflict, pared it pleadingly, hoping the wedding was going to bridge the racism, if there was any.

I shall quote from the previous source which describes Harry as inter alia, a ’’humanitarian’’ whom ‘’grief changed everything….But the world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy tale wed­ding…but from the beginning … were preyed upon by the press subjected to waves of abuse, racism and lies.’’ That same brief suggests Harry felt insecure and lest history repeated, he left home. His mother’s thwarted ended in tragedy. Two sentences stick in my mind. Harry thanking his ‘’incredible wife’’ wrote ‘’; and to you, the reader: ‘’thank you for wanting to know my story in my words. I am so grateful to be able to share it thus far.’’

It is a story told in 87 epi­sodes plus epilogue tagged with acknowledgement in fine flair without polemics easily pickable in others. That warrants not my treating it, my side of it as a ‘’Review’’ necessarily formal. I had intimated statements that Prince Harry is making: Marriage, fam­ilies, the persons , the future and the community at large. Though it is said in culture specifically that ‘you ask which is the other family’ I think in other cultures other con­siderations are reckoned, royalty generally prefer that opposite to belong similarly. The newcomer then would also learn in advance either before of post-joined. That is the unmentioned schooling. “ When you go to Rome, you do what the Romans do’’ It happened to Princess Diana and Meghan confronts it. Someone had been impatient or both sides.

To boot, if you want fault, Meghan comes from ‘ no- celibate bitter colour insecurity-back­ground. Then, of the two, Meghan has a previous marriage experience . It is always easy to say things we say and regret later. I had in one of my two pieces when Queen Elizabeth II passed on, that King Charles III would require to sit down with the children and settle the differences [i] between him and them; that includes spouses; in one way or another each one of them feel their mother was betrayed; and [ii] determine a restitution for Diana.

If that has been done, it is unknown yet. Wisdom from the whole of the ‘’Prince Harry story’’ is how to stop the long arm of history not curling back because it wreaks agony in monarchies ev­erywhere. But it essentially getting an accommodating understanding to promote peace at home, arrests gossips, and it all rests with Daddy. None can deny worry. It seems to me too much exaggeration had gone on.

I doubt we all have forgotten the picture of Harry and elder brother William walking-talking. Its significance was and is self-ex­planatory. Every family has its internal problems. But this one is over-spaced in the press to an ever-ready gullible public. Our next sign-posts are the coronation and investiture of William as Prince of Wales. Patriotically, I want William to remember that our Achimota secondary was named after his grand uncle Edward VIII in 1927. Others might have followed across Africa since, notwithstanding. I hope I am understood, unlike Prince Harry which is something of the British archaic-manufacture, needing to apologise to Harry for divisiveness, very tattered with cursory look at parliament.

By Nana Esselfie-Conduah

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