It’s no surprise that Prince Harry is back in the headlines following the coronation of sausage-fingered King Charles this past weekend.
What is a surprise though is that ghostwriter Joseph Moehringer, responsible for writing the bestselling biography Spare published an article in The New Yorker, discussing the process of writing a record breaking story alongside the royal.
Watch 4 revelations from Prince Harry's memoir Spare. Story continues below.
So in case you cbf reading, here are all the juicy revelations from our boy Harry’s ghostwriter.
1. Harry is insecure about his brain.
Moehringer begins the piece by explaining his often heated discussions with the prince, reflecting on bizarre thoughts he had whilst working on the project.
"This is so weird. I’m shouting at Prince Harry."
Typically, the two would go back and forth and around in circles over previously discussed edits, often creating tension that would leave him anxious about his job.
Commonly they would feud over what the prince felt should be included. Moehringer would reiterate that they would only undermine his story and were ultimately unnecessary for the bigger picture.
He explains, "Harry couldn’t escape the wish that Spare might be a rebuttal to every lie ever published about him."
Moehringer contemplates the idea that the prince feels insecure about his intellectual capabilities, due to a lifetime of 'belittling' from those closest to him.
2. They became besties.
Right off the bat both Harry and Moehringer connected. There was an instant level of chemistry between the two and Moehringer would often call Harry "dude", which made the royal chuckle.
The two became friends quickly, however they did not meet each other physically for some time due to the pandemic.
When the two finally met, Moehringer and his family stayed in the royal couple's guesthouse, where both Meghan and Archie would visit during their afternoon walks. Harry won the hearts of Moehringer's daughter with his endless Moana references and 'loveable Dad energy'.
The bond between the two no doubt contributed to the overall success of the book.
3. The book took two years to complete.
Harry had no deadline.
Fortunately, amidst a pandemic they were able to focus on the book, allowing time to flesh things out, edits and re-edits as required – which Moehringer said was essential to his style of working.
4. Everything was on the table.
If they were going to do this, then it needed to be raw.
Moehringer was very definitive about this from the start. If they were to collaborate together then there must be no secrets between the two.
The royal's honesty impressed Moehringer. "No subject was off the table. I felt honoured by his candour, and I could tell that he felt astonished by it."
The closer the pair became, the more Harry would share.
Harry would often express how "freeing" the feeling was, with Moehringer becoming the liberator of Harry's many secrets, which marked the start of his healing.
5. Someone leaked news of the book.
Everything was going so well, the book was on track; the pair were uncovering beautiful revelations and sharing moments that would eventually lead to the success of the book.
Until someone from their camp leaked the book – who remains a mystery.
Not only was the book announced, but also everyone working on it. Moehringer shares, "Every hour, another piece would drop, each one wrong. My fee was wrong, my bio was wrong, even my name."
There were articles written about how George Clooney had put the pair in touch and was now working on a film, despite the writer never having met the actor.
6. A week before its release date, Spare was leaked.
When it rains it pours.
A week prior to the book being released a bookshop in Madrid reportedly ‘accidentally’ sold the embargoed copies and all hell broke loose.
Within hours there were teams assembled to translate the book, this was after all one of, if not the biggest release of the year.
Listen to the latest episode of The Spill. Story continues after podcast.
7. The translations were bonkers.
Arguably the biggest detriment to the book were the bonkers translations.
For example, the writer explains, "‘I mounted her quickly...' But of course he doesn’t. I can assert with 100 per cent confidence that no one gets ‘mounted,’ quickly or otherwise, in Spare."
The lack of context and terrible translations ultimately affected the reputation and legitimacy of the biography.
8. Harry’s friends threw a book party.
As one does, when a mate publishes a book; Harry’s inner circle threw a book bash to celebrate the release of Spare.
Moehringer and his wife attended, excited at the monumental achievement of completing such a beast that ended up being the fastest selling non-fiction book in history.
This is when paps began leaping from bushes, shoving long lenses against windows of Moehringer's home – marking the beginning of the end of the writer and his family's privacy.
9. Once a ghost, always a ghost.
Moehringer refers to the struggle he faced with the lack of recognition that ghostwriters receive, although the whole point is to be anonymous.
He willingly accepts that despite working confidential clauses into contracts, he often struggles with the lack of recognition received.
Joseph Moehringer is now taking a break from ghostwriting to work on his new fiction novel.
Image: Getty, Mamamia, The New Yorker.