Spare

When it comes to the British royal family, the first person I think of is Diana, Princess of Wales. She was the first member of the family I heard when I was a child in China. Back then, I knew very little about Princess Diana, except that she was one of the most influential royal figures in the world and that she died at a young age. Time has passed, and now that I am about to begin working in the UK after completing my master's degree, the royal family is back on my radar. People frequently discuss this family in news, articles, and videos.

Especially after the departure of Prince Harry and his wife, which followed the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth, discussions surrounding the monarchy have reached new heights. As an outsider and a foreigner, I have developed a strong interest, or one might say curiosity, towards the royal family. Their lives are mysterious, and their history is full of secrets. The subjective news or articles on the internet, which often tell half-truths or fake stories, are perhaps not enough to satisfy my curiosity. In my search for something more authentic and informative about the family, I came across a drama and a book: The Crown and Spare. The former is a Netflix original drama that chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. The latter is a memoir by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, after his departure from the family.

The Crown and Spare are the perfect combination for me to understand the royal family. One is a seemingly objective replay of history, while the other is a subjective reflection from Prince Harry. There is much debate about “Spare”. Some people think it is a complete betrayal of family, army colleagues, friends, and the monarchy. Others share much sympathy with Harry’s experiences. I have formed my opinion based on my reading and watching, combined with some additional research online. While I was surprised at how complex and storied this family is, I feel extremely sad about what happened to Prince Harry and the entire royal family. In the book, I can clearly feel his struggle and hopelessness as a royal member, once third in line for the throne. I can also sense his strong longing for his mother, which is discussed throughout the memoir.

I also admire Queen Elizabeth, who served the crown until the very last minute of her life. The moment King George abdicated the throne, she became not only Elizabeth but also the queen, the leader of the countries and their colonies. One might ask, is it a real blessing or a curse? I would say it is perhaps a curse that has taken away her life as a normal woman, a mother, and a wife.

Shakespeare once said, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown” in his Henry IV. Indeed, while the crown gives the family privileges, it also imposes unprecedented responsibilities that a normal person could not bear or understand. One might argue that the royals live the best life with the highest standards, whereas billions of people in this world are suffering from poverty. The royals should not complain about anything that happens to them. But are they not human? Do they not have emotions? Perhaps this comparison is not appropriate.

One thing I learned from the drama and book is that the media is not trustworthy. Out of the 10 things they report, 7 may not be true. They are largely driven by money and sacrifice their integrity for more reviews and traffic. Even worse, there are readers who lack the ability to make proper judgments or ask simple questions such as, “What is the source?” or “How do I know if this is true?” They blindly follow the news or are influenced by the people around them. Such people or organizations have existed throughout history and will continue to do so. The main question is how one can remain neutral and analyze a question objectively in this noisy world.

My viewpoint may appear to support one side more than the other, but I only intend to share a frank, honest, and perhaps narrow review. There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. Perhaps the truth is already buried with the queen.