Copies go spare! Prince Harry’s new paperback version of his autobiography ranks 73rd in the book charts after selling just 3,000 copies in its second week

Prince Harry’s new paperback version of Spare has reached 73rd place in the UK charts, having sold just 3,000 copies in its second week of publication.

The Duke of Sussex chose not to give interviews to announce the paperback edition of his smash autobiography, which was released on October 24.

The publisher Penguin Random House confirmed that the book had not been updated from hardback form, which was seen as a somewhat unusual move for an international bestseller.

The hardback edition was published in January 2023 and broke bookstore records when it became Britain’s best-selling book last year, with more than 700,000 copies sold.

But Harry’s decision not to provide publicity or updates for the paperback is likely to have affected its potential sales figures and given it a low ranking outside the official UK Top 50.

The 3,000 copies sold are comparable to the 12,000 copies sold of Richard Osman’s latest novel or the almost 10,000 copies sold of Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat: Home To Roost.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022

Copies of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ are pictured in a bookstore in London in January 2023

The reissue of Spare reprints Harry’s claims against his estranged family, including allegations that Prince William broke his necklace and pushed him onto a dog bowl that broke during a particularly explosive argument.

The hardcover version of Spare broke records and was Britain’s best-selling book last year

The duke also recalled private family conversations between himself, his father, King Charles III, and his brother.

It was claimed that William teased Harry about his panic attacks, Charles put his own interests ahead of his second son and saw Harry refer to his use of cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms and his enjoyment of the TV show Friends.

Harry also highlighted the issues between his wife Meghan Markle and Kate – including the princess’ response to the Duchess of Sussex saying she had “baby brains”.

And he used the book to claim that William called Meghan “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive,” and that Charles refused to allow Meghan to join Harry in Scotland as the late queen lay dying.

Penguin Random House announced on August 26 that the paperback version of Spare would be published in 16 languages ​​worldwide, with the same cover image and newly designed packaging, but “the contents of the book are unchanged.”

A customer holds copies of ‘Spare’ in a London bookstore during a midnight opening in 2023

A poster advertises the midnight opening of a WH Smith store in London to sell Spare last year

Questions were raised about whether Harry would update his memoirs with a new chapter, as this has happened within the royal family over the past year.

This has led to the further breakdown of his relationships with his family, the King being diagnosed with cancer – prompting Harry to fly to London to see his father for just 30 minutes – and his children, Archie and Lilibet, Prince and Princess have become.

Harry’s choice not to add to the revelations was seen by some observers as an olive branch and an attempt to improve relations with his family.

Spare became an instant publishing sensation when it was first published on January 10 last year, selling more than six million copies in both print and audio worldwide.

Data obtained by The Bookseller in January showed that Prince Harry’s book Spare sold more than 700,000 copies in Britain last year, making it the country’s best-selling book of 2023.

The title, written by journalist JR Moehringer, also set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time.

The English-language edition sold over 1,430,000 copies across all formats and editions in the US, Canada and the UK on its first day of publication.

In April, fellow author Osman claimed that Harry had already made £22 million ($27 million) from Spare, despite it only being released in hardback at the time.

Harry was believed to have received a £16 million ($20 million) advance in June 2021 as part of a £32 million ($40 million) four-book deal after a bidding war.

Penguin Random House has been contacted for comment.