Prince Harry's book 'Spare' smashes records by selling an 'extraordinary' 1.4 million copies in a day, publisher says

• Prince Harry broke sales records on Tuesday with his memoir titled "Spare."
• More than 1.4 million copies were sold on the first day in the US, Canada and UK, per New York Times.
• It's Penguin Random House's fastest-selling non-fiction book, beating Barack Obama's "A Promised Land".

Prince Harry's memoir has broken records by selling more than 1.4 million copies in first-day and pre-order sales in the US, UK and Canada, according to figures from Penguin Random House reported by The New York Times.

"Spare," which went on sale Tuesday, has become the publisher's highest-selling non-fiction title on day one, with more than 400,000 copies sold in Britain alone. The figures include hardcover, as well as the e-book edition and audiobooks.

Gina Centrello, president of the Random House Group, said in a statement quoted by The Hollywood Reporter: "'Spare' is the story of someone we may have thought we already knew, but now we can truly come to understand Prince Harry through his own words. Looking at these extraordinary first-day sales, readers clearly agree, 'Spare' is a book that demands to be read, and it is a book we are proud to publish."

The popularity of "Spare" makes it one of the best-selling hardcover titles in recent years. It's also the top title on Amazon.

Former President Barack Obama notched up 887,000 first-day sales of "A Promised Land" in the US and Canada when it was released in 2020, according to the Times. His wife Michelle Obama's "Becoming", sold more than 725,000 copies on its first day and took a week to sell 1.4 million, per Penguin Random House.

Leaks of "Spare" surfaced last Thursday when a Spanish-language version went on sale in Spain days ahead of its official Tuesday release and has had mixed reactions and reviews.

The Financial Times described it as the "most insightful royal book in a generation". The Guardian dubbed it a "flawed attempt to reclaim the narrative", while BBC News called it the "weirdest book" written by a royal.

Harry divulged details about his relationship with his father, King Charles, and his brother Prince William, as well as giving readers an insight into growing up in the British royal family.

The 38-year-old also opened up about dealing with the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and Meghan Markle's struggles with her mental health.

One shocking revelation details how Prince William allegedly knocked him "to the floor" in a physical altercation in 2019 amid rising tension between the brothers.

Penguin Random House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.