> Zed Book Club / Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Continues to Break Worldwide Records
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex visit the finals of wheelchair basketball during the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark on April 22, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: P van Katwijk/Getty Images
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Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Continues to Break Worldwide Records
The book also seems to have put a dent in the popularity of members of the Royal Family — including the Prince and Princess of Wales. / BY Mike Crisolago / January 19th, 2023
It may be called Spare, but Prince Harry’s memoir is poised to be the heir to a number of literary sales milestones.
Since its release on Jan. 10, Spare has broken numerous records, including entering the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest-selling non-fiction book in history with 1.4 million copies sold across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. on its first day, as well as setting a first-week sales record in the U.K. with 750,000 copies flying off the shelves (this includes e-books and audio books).
And now, according to the Guardian, which consulted Nielsen BookData, the memoir is also the fastest-selling non-fiction book in the U.K. since record-keeping on the subject began. The publication noted that the previous record-holder, the 2019 Pinch of Nom: 100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes cookbook by Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone, sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week.
Along the way, Spare also bested former U.S. president Barack Obama’s memoir, A Promised Land, which previously held the first-day sales record for a non-fiction book.
Meanwhile, Harry’s memoir, which takes aim at the Royal Family — and, in particular, his brother, Prince William — may have also chipped away at their popularity.
The Telegraph noted this week that, since the release of Spare, William and Kate’s U.K. popularity dropped eight and seven points respectively. Though it also seems like that the book may have served as an own goal of sorts, causing the popularity of Harry himself, and his wife, Meghan Markle, to dip seven and five points respectively.
The polling of royal popularity was carried out by London-based market research company Ipsos MORI.
Still, the story notes, across the pond the Royal Family holds a favourability rating of 53 per cent, while King Charles received a 51 per cent favourability rating and both William and Kate stand at 61 and 60 per cent respectively — the most popular royals according to the numbers.
Harry, meanwhile, holds a 23 per cent favourability rating. Though it doesn’t seem to be hurting his book sales.