Publishers are reporting that Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” is the fastest selling non-fiction book in history—but was sharing his “truth” worth the mockery its inspired? Instead of getting the public to empathize broadly with him, Harry has seen his popularity crater, his memory called into question and his pain turned into a punchline on late night television.

So, Harry, was the cool $20 million you received worth it?

It’s likely that Harry, and more specifically Meghan Markle, would say, “yes.” Their entire post-royal careers have been predicated on the couple making as much money as humanly possible as fast as humanly possible in order to sustain their obscenely expensive lifestyles. Having a massive bestseller, is probably seen as a step in the right direction.

But cold hard cash is little comfort when your reputation is in such tatters that your pain is now fodder for late night comics.

Recently, Jimmy Kimmel “revealed” a new children’s book based on “Spare,” called “The Prince and the Penis,” chronicling Harry’s Freudian story about his frostbitten penis and his mother’s Elizabeth Arden cream.

Reading the book to the crowd, Kimmel said, “Oh mummy, oh mummy! He cried with a scream, and from then on up high, she appeared with some cream. My poor little prince, put this cream on your willy. It will lessen the ache and make it less chilly.”

It’s doubtful that Harry, and especially Prince William, appreciated the memory of their mother Princess Diana being the focus of mockery on American television, but Harry only has himself to blame.

No one needed to know about his frostbitten penis or how it reminded him of his dead mother—but Harry wanted his “truth” out there. This is the predictable result.

Reporters and critics have also found some rather obvious and glaring inconsistencies and factual errors in his memoir.

For example, the prince was wrong about where he was when the Queen Mother died and the last gift given to him by his mother, Princess Diana. Harry was also incorrect when it comes to a flight that he and Meghan allegedly booked for Thomas Markle before their wedding.

In the book, Harry writes, “We told him, leave Mexico right now: A whole new level of harassment is about to rain down on you, so come to Britain now.

“Air New Zealand, first class, booked and paid for by Meg.”

But there’s not one but two glaring problems. Not only does Air New Zealand not have a route going between Mexico and London, but they don’t have first class, just Business Premier fares. 

Air New Zealand was able to make an epic burn out of Harry’s iffy recollection on Twitter, stating, “Introducing #SussexClass (crown emoji) Apparently coming soon.”

These obvious inconsistencies raise serious questions about Harry’s perception of “the truth,” as he has claimed in other interviews that his memoir is the definitive and true version of events.

It also makes his publisher look incompetent for not fact-checking some rather basic things, as Harry getting a PlayStation from his mother has been broadly reported and known for years.

And perhaps the most damaging is the hit Harry’s popularity has taken in the latest YouGov poll. 

The Duke of Sussex, who at one point was more popular than the Queen, has a popularity rating of a paltry 24%. His disapproval rating is at a staggering 68%. When asked why Harry chose to write “Spare,” 41% of respondents agreed that it was solely “to make money.” 

Harry stated that he wanted to write “Spare” in order to get his side of the story out there and correct the negative narrative that he believes has unfairly surrounded him and wife Meghan Markle.

If that was his intended purpose, by any stretch of the imagination, he’s failed miserably in that endeavor.

The money might be good, but when it comes at the cost of your public reputation, was it worth it? 

In five to ten years from now, Prince Harry may conclude that writing “Spare” was the biggest mistake of his life. He followed Meghan’s d-list actress plan that the more publicity you can generate, the better the returns. As if the more columns or mentions you get can somehow make up for a seeming lack of talent.

But people want to root for the heroes, not a seemingly wimpy man with a (somewhat understandable) mother complex who happily and ignorantly tells the world that he thought of her while tending his frostbitten penis. 

Instead of being received as a man who overcame the great burden of being born the spare, as he clearly wanted, he’s the focus of mockery and contempt.

So again, I ask, Harry, was this worth it?