Bert's Books, an independent bookstore in Swindon, England went viral for a hilariously shady window display for the new memoir by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Spare was a highly anticipated release because of the many personal revelations within its pages, many of them regarding Prince Harry's courtship and marriage to actor Meghan Markle and the couple's subsequent stepping back from their royal roles.
The bookstore decided to place copies of Spare—which has received mixed reviews from critics—alongside Bella Mackie’s novel How to Kill Your Family, which follows a woman's account of her decision to murder her entire family and claim their fortune.
The bookstore accompanied a photograph of the display with the following caption:
"Anyway, we do have some spare copies of Spare if you want one."
You can see the bookstore's tweet below.
After publishing the cheeky tweet, the bookstore noted it did indeed have spare copies of Spare and encouraged its followers to order some.
Many thought the bookstore's display was hilarious.
Alex Call, the owner of Bert's Books, said How to Kill Your Family was already on display in the shop window because it was the shop's bestselling book of 2022, adding he and the staff "thought it would be quite funny to put it next to Spare and would be quite light-hearted and make a few people smile.”
Call also used the shop's Twitter account to address those who "have projected some very different meanings" onto the picture of the shop display.
He said he doesn't "really have strong opinions" on Prince Harry, his memoir, or the royal family despite comments from people who've suggested the display is a sign he supports Harry and others who've said otherwise.
The romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has long been the subject of heated debate in the United Kingdom, especially since the two decided to step down as senior members of the royal family and move to Markle's native Southern California.
Markle—who spoke openly about the racism and microaggressions she experienced as a mixed-race British royal during a much publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021—says she wasn't "treated as a Black woman" until she started dating the prince.
Prince Harry has addressed the controversy in his book and written at length about his relationship with his brother William, Prince of Wales and his father, King Charles III; as well as his reaction to the death of his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Spare has been the subject of multiple polarizing reviews, including one by the BBC's Sean Coughlan, who specializes in coverage of the royal family and referred to the book as "the longest angry drunk text ever sent."
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