Fans Think a New Video of Queen Camilla Seems to Be Poking Fun at Prince Harry’s Memoir ‘Spare'

A recent video posted on the royal family's official Instagram account has some users speculating that it's a jab at Prince Harry. The decision of the Duke of Sussex and his spouse, Meghan Markle, to resign from their positions as working royals and go to California to live independently of the British press has caused a rift between them and their royal family—something that has been grabbing headlines for a while now.

The video begins with images of a ballroom and then cuts to Queen Camilla waving and shaking hands with visitors. The camera then pans over a stage, seats, chandeliers, and a teleprompter. The caption read, "Last week, The Queen hosted finalists and their families, alongside some special celebrity guests, for an exciting event at Buckingham Palace to award young authors with the coveted 500 Words prize. The creative writing competition encourages children, 5-11 years old, to write a fictional story — using 500 words or fewer." But in what many have perceived to be a dig at Prince Harry's best-selling autobiography, the opening shot of the film shows audio equipment on a table, with one plainly labeled 'spare.' 

The Instagram video's comments section was flooded with laughing emojis as perceptive commentators pointed out the concealed shade. One user commented, "'Spare' Come on guys, at least try to keep your shade subtle." Another user added, "Who filmed the mic pack with “Spare” written on it and thought “yeah that’s great, i can’t see anyone picking up on anything here." A third user commented, "Anyone notice « spare » … shade ?"

Moreover, according to OK! Magazine, there are still plenty of people who disagree with the Queen's title. While she is a "Queen Consort," Camilla's correct address is "Her Majesty The Queen" as long as King Charles III is alive. Her title, if she were to become a widow, would be "Her Majesty Queen Camilla," since Kate, Princess of Wales, would then have the title of "Her Majesty The Queen." 

The Queen now ranks third in importance within the family, after Prince William and her husband, King Charles III. However, among the three, she has been the only one working hard lately. While Prince William has been taking care of his wife, Kate Middleton, during her recuperation from abdominal surgery, King Charles has also been facing medical issues after the discovery of an unidentified cancer growth. 

Prince Harry made several allegations about royal family members in his book Spare, which was published on January 10, 2023. These individuals included their father, King Charles III, his now-estranged brother Prince William, Middleton, and Queen Camilla. According to the book, Camilla sent false information to the media about Harry and the other members of the royal family to divert attention away from her unfavorable news. Additionally, Harry stated that he 'begged' Charles not to wed her because he thought she would become his 'wicked stepmother.' As reported by Time, Harry mentioned in his book, "Despite Willy and me urging him not to, Pa was going ahead. We pumped his hand, wished him well. No hard feelings. We recognized that he was finally going to be with the woman he loved, the woman he’d always loved."