Prince Harry’s memoir Spare (Transworld) has accidentally gone on sale in Spain, ahead of its release date next week, with the British press including MailOnline, the Sun, Reuters and Sky News obtaining copies.
The memoir is titled En La Sombra in Spanish, which translates as ‘In the Shadow’.
Everything points to the fact that some customers have breached their commitment to the publisher and have put the book on sale before the agreed date.
‘No advance copies of Spare have been officially released ahead of publication on Tuesday 10th January.
It has previously been reported the book was being printed at Clays in Bungay, Suffolk, under conditions of great secrecy, with staff being checked on their way out for copies.
Clays declined to comment when asked about the recent leak. PRH has not yet responded to requests for comment or indicated if it will affect the book’s PR and marketing campaign.
Yesterday the Guardian received a leaked copy of the book despite ‘stringent security’ reporting a claim by Harry that his brother Prince William physically attacked him during a fight about Harry’s wife Meghan.
No advance copies of Spare have been officially released ahead of publication on Tuesday 10th January.
It has previously been reported the book was being printed at Clays in Bungay, Suffolk, under conditions of great secrecy, with staff being checked on their way out for copies.
Clays declined to comment when asked about the recent leak.
Entitled En La Sombra – In the Shadow in Spanish – the hardback copy was selling for €21.90 in the ‘recommended’ section of the Casa del Libro, which is a nationwide chain of booksellers.
But within hours the memoir was pulled from the shelves.
‘The book was not supposed to have gone on sale until January 10,’ said a shop assistant.
At the start of the book it reads: Para Meg, Archie y Lili y por supuesto mi madre (for Meg , Archie, Lili and of course my mother).
A shop assistant at the branch in Barcelona said: ‘We just received this today. It was the only new book. There was no indication that we could not put it on sale until a certain date so we put it on sale today.
:We have already received at least requests for the book. It might be popular here in Spain.’
One possible reason that the Duke of Sussex’s book went on sale early in Spain is that tomorrow is King’s Day – when families traditionally give presents just as happens in Britain on Christmas Day.
