Spare

Meghan’s mother stays at Frogmore Cottage as her daughter’s due date approaches. A week after the baby is due, labor is induced at Portland Hospital. During Meghan’s labor, a nurse has to fetch more laughing gas after Harry uses the whole canister himself. When Harry sees the baby’s head emerge, he realizes that the umbilical cord is tangled. He encourages Meghan to push, fearing that she may need an emergency C-section. Meghan gives birth to a healthy baby boy, and they name him Archie.

Once the couple returns home with Archie, their communications officer, Sara, publicly announces that Meghan has gone into labor. When Harry points out that his wife has already given birth, Sara explains that the press wants to feel involved in events as they develop. When the newspapers discover the truth, they’re resentful at being deceived. A BBC radio presenter posts a photograph, claiming that it’s of the royal couple and their new baby: It shows a man and woman with a chimpanzee.

Harry tells the Queen about their troubles with the press, and she promises to send a courtier to talk to them. Harry dislikes the courtiers, believing that they manipulate the Queen while seeming to serve her. He refers to them as “the Bee,” “the Wasp,” and “the Fly.” The Bee visits Harry and Meghan and listens to them sympathetically. He promises to put together a plan of action but never contacts them again. In the summer of 2019, Harry, Meghan, and Archie join Elton John and his husband in France. When Elton reveals that the Daily Mail is serializing his memoir, Harry is shocked, given that the singer once sued the newspaper for libel. Elton suggests that his previous battle with the Daily Mail makes it the perfect place to tell his story.

In September 2019, Harry and Meghan embark on a successful royal tour of South Africa. When they return to England, they announce that they’re suing three British tabloids. On Elton John’s advice, they hire their own lawyer instead of going through the Palace. The Queen and Prince Charles call Harry to Buckingham Palace. Prince Charles declares that Harry’s lawsuit could seriously damage the Palace’s relationship with the press. Harry suggests that legal action wouldn’t be necessary if the Palace had defended Meghan. The Queen’s courtiers claim that Harry never requested support.

Harry attends the WellChild awards, paying tribute to children with severe health conditions. During his speech, he becomes emotional, thinking about the parents and their children. Shortly afterward, Prince William sends a text inquiring about Harry’s emotional well-being. Harry insists that he’s fine, but the brothers argue via text. Prince William ends the exchange by saying that he loves his brother and will always be there to help him.

In November 2019, Harry, Meghan, Archie, and his nanny retreat to a house on Vancouver Island. The family enjoys six weeks of privacy before the Daily Mail prints their address. Photographers soon surround the house. Harry and Meghan discuss spending six months of every year in another country, away from the British press. They decide on Cape Town, where they could still carry out royal duties in Commonwealth countries. Prince Charles tells Harry to put the request in writing. He warns his son not to take further action until they discuss it. Harry calls the Queen and tells her of his plans. She agrees that he can visit her at Sandringham to talk about it. However, on the flight from Vancouver to London, Harry is messaged by a courtier who says that the Queen can’t see him. Again, he’s warned not to make an announcement until discussions have occurred.

The Sun publishes a story claiming that Harry and Meghan will relinquish royal duties and their titles to live in Canada. Harry and his staff release a carefully worded statement on Instagram.

Meghan returns to Canada while Harry attends a meeting at Sandringham. The Queen, her courtiers, Prince Charles, and Prince William are all present. The Bee explains that they have five options to vote on. Option 1 is that Harry and Meghan will continue in traditional royal roles. Option 5 is a complete departure from royal life with no funded security. Options 2-4 are compromises close to Harry’s proposed suggestions. Harry stresses that security is critical because he’s concerned about the safety of his wife and child. However, his family steers him toward Option 1, declaring that Option 5 is the only other possibility.

After some discussion, the Bee distributes an official statement announcing approval of Option 5. Harry suggests that the decision was already fixed and asks to see the statements for the other four options. The Bee claims that the printer stopped working as he was about to print them. It’s agreed that the Sussexes will continue to have security for the next 12 months while the details of the new arrangement are worked out. Before he leaves, Harry visits the Queen’s office, where the Bee’s assistant confirms that all the printers are working.

Harry is told that the Palace has released a statement denying rumors that Prince William bullied him. Harry hasn’t seen or approved it. In January 2020, a final Palace statement is released stating that Harry and Meghan will no longer perform royal duties, their titles will be suspended, and they’ll repay the cost of renovations to Frogmore Cottage. Harry joins Meghan and Archie in Vancouver, constantly monitoring the internet for reactions to the news. The press condemns the couple’s actions.

Harry and Meghan stay in Canada, and the Palace provides armed security. However, in February 2020, the security guards tell Harry that they’ve been recalled to England at the end of March. The Palace provides Harry with details of a security firm with an annual cost of £6 million. Soon afterward, Harry learns that his former girlfriend, Caroline Flack, has died by suicide. In March 2020, a global pandemic is announced. Knowing that Canada will soon close its borders, Harry and Meghan decide to move to the US. Meghan’s friend, Tyler Perry, offers Meghan and Harry use of his gated home, Xanadu, in Los Angeles. When they move in, Archie becomes obsessed with a painting in the hall of the goddess Diana.

The press discovers Harry and Meghan’s location, and reporters overrun Xanadu. As the couple plans their next move, Prince Charles announces that he’s cutting Harry’s funding. At the same time, Meghan discovers that she’s pregnant again. In July 2020, the couple buys a home near Santa Barbara. Still engaged in her stressful legal battle with the Daily Mail, Meghan collapses and has a miscarriage. On Christmas Eve, 2020, Meghan gives Harry a Christmas ornament shaped like the Queen. Harry hangs it on the tree, but Archie accidentally breaks it. In February 2021, the Palace takes away Harry and Meghan’s His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles and announces that they’ll no longer perform royal duties.

Harry visits a spiritualist, who claims that his mother is happy for him. Dubious, Harry asks for proof that the message is genuine. The spiritualist says that his mother was present when the Christmas ornament of a relative was broken.

In Frogmore Gardens, after Prince Philip’s funeral, Harry says that he can’t forgive his family’s collusion in the media’s persecution of Meghan. Prince William suggests that his brother is a hypocrite because he collaborated with the media in his recent interview with Oprah Winfrey. He grabs Harry and vows, on their mother’s life, that he wants his brother to be happy, but Harry doesn’t believe him. He tunes out of everything else that his father and brother say. Meghan gives birth to a baby daughter and, later that day, writes a love poem to Harry.

Harry and Meghan visit Princess Diana’s grave at Althorp on the 25th anniversary of her death. On September 8, 2022, Prince Charles calls to say that the Queen is gravely ill at Balmoral. Harry and Meghan prepare to travel to Scotland, but Prince Charles states that Meghan shouldn’t accompany his son. When Harry becomes angry, Prince Charles clarifies that none of the royal wives will be present.

On his flight to Scotland, Harry receives a text from Meghan. He checks the BBC website and learns that the Queen has died and his father is now King Charles III. Princess Anne greets Harry at Balmoral and takes him to view the Queen’s body. Harry leaves early in the morning without seeing his brother or father.

Harry and Meghan stay in England for the Queen’s funeral. He and his brother walk behind the coffin but barely speak. The next day, the couple returns to California. Shortly afterward, a hummingbird gets trapped in the house. Harry guides the bird outside, where it pauses before flying away.