Prince Harry’s controversial memoir Spare should “read like a novel” as it was never “intended to be a complete biography”, professional ghost writer Joshua Lisec has said.
When the book was published in January 2023 it made headlines for the scandalous claims made about the Royal Family, with particular aim taken at Prince William and Queen Camilla.
Spare details Harry’s take on life in the Firm from his early childhood until his relationship with Meghan Markle, with the pair eventually stepping down as working royals in 2020.
The author of So Good They Call You a Fake Joshua Lisec explained to Express.co.uk why these claims should not be interpreted as wholly factual as they are based on the subject’s emotional experience rather than a blow-by-blow fact-checked biography.
Given that a memoir also relies on memory, a process of simulation is often relied on to help the subject understand how they felt at the time and what the other people might have said to make them feel this way.
But lawyer for the Biden administration John Bardo spoke out in the Duke’s defence, saying the book cannot be used evidence as the contents may have been enhanced or changed.
He said: “The book isn’t sworn testimony or proof that the Duke of Sussex did in fact take illegal drugs. Saying something in a book doesn’t necessarily make it true.”
Mr Lisec also stated: “Whatever you think of their decision on this case, they are not wrong about the inaccuracy of memoirs. While readers often think they are definitive, many memoirs are not fact-checked in detail.
“Often, ghostwriters and publishers only check closely when a section might be potentially libellous about someone else.”
