Prince Harry's book Spare goes on sale in Waterstones and WHSmith

Shoppers have hurried to city bookshops today to get their hands on Spare, Harry’s autobiography which offers an insight into his life with the royals.

People purchasing copies in WHSmith were broadly supportive of the Prince but some felt he should have kept his thoughts to himself.

 Martin Cook, 76, a retired engineer from Worcester, said: "If my family had treated me the way his family have I would definitely disown them and I'd put it in writing so there would be no mistake."

George MacDougall, 94, retired, said: "I feel sorry for him and his wife and their children, that they've had to go to California."

George MacDougall popped into WHSmith to get himself a copy (Image: SWNS)

But Barbara Gill, 66 from Dines Green in Worcester, a sales assistant, said: "It's just normal family issues and should stay in the family.

"I've never seen a perfect family because they don't exist.

"Harry is a bit naughty but who isn't. Life is not a bed of roses."

Spare is on sale now at both WHSmith on High Street and Waterstones on The Shambles.

At both shops, copies have been stickered to say they are half price and are now priced at £14.

John Cotterill, non-fiction category manager for Waterstones, is expecting it to be one of the biggest releases of the decade.

He said: "We are very pleased with the exceptional sales we have seen so far today.

"Having such a prominent book land in shops in January has added welcome interest to a usually quieter month.

"Spare is one of the biggest pre-orders for Waterstones in a decade and we have seen unprecedented numbers of click-and-collect orders today.

"We expect Spare to be one of this year’s bestsellers."

Spare is on sale in Waterstones now (Image: Newsquest)

Explaining why Spare is already on offer, Mr Cotterill added: “Including a highly anticipated and prominent publication, such as Prince Harry’s memoir, in our half price offer is customary, as we aim to provide a balanced offer for Waterstones customers and compete with heavy online discounting.”

The 407-page book sees Harry expressing his frustration at being the spare to the heir, his ever-present anger at the UK media, his unresolved trauma over the death of his mother, his mental health struggles, his lonely life before meeting Meghan and the breakdown of his family relationships.