"The fonder the memory, the deeper the ache."
Here, Prince Harry is talking about the death of his beloved mother, Princess Diana of Wales. Naturally, Harry was very close to and fond of his mother. More so than Prince Charles, Harry's father, Princess Diana spent much of her time with her sons. She doted over them and loved them. After her death, Harry remembered the good times he shared with his mother and mourned her loss deeply. He ached because of her death and his life was changed dramatically.
"I heard the story of what Pa allegedly said to Mummy the day of my birth: Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare—my work is done. A joke. Presumably. On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of high comedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet with his girlfriend. So. Many a true word spoken in jest."
This biting comment from Harry about his parents, Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales is perhaps the most important in his memoir. Harry said that Charles claimed to say this comment in jest, but Harry believes that what Charles firmly believed what he said. Here, then Prince Charles congratulated his wife for giving him an heir to the throne of the United Kingdom and now a spare, or the person who comes next in line to throne if anything were to happen to the heir. Charles felt that his work with Diana, a woman who he had no respect for, was therefore done. He didn't care for Diana and essentially discarded her after she gave birth to his second child, instead opting to go with his girlfriend.
"The Heir and the Spare—there was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity. I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part."
This quote is perhaps the most important quote and thesis of Spare. Harry has lived his life in the shadow of his brother William, who is the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom. Harry has consistently felt that he has never been able to live its life to its fullest. His life was spent on standby; he needed to be ready at a moment's notice to step in and assume the duties of his brother and perhaps even his duties as King. This quote also reflects why, in part, Harry stepped away from the Royal Family with the help of his wife, Meghan Markle. He wanted to be his own person; he no longer wanted to be in the shadow of his brother.
