A parenting expert has explained why Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are unlikely to follow in their uncle Prince Harry’s footsteps as ‘spares’ in relation to their older brother, Prince George. Prince Harry has frequently discussed his experience of being the ‘spare’ in the royal line of succession, even naming his memoir Spare. In the book, he recalls his father, King Charles, reportedly saying to Princess Diana at Harry’s birth, “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare—my work is done.”
Harry has also shared his concerns for William and Kate’s younger children, Charlotte and Louis, expressing worry that at least one of them might feel relegated to a secondary role. “Out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare,” Harry noted, adding that the thought is both painful and troubling for him.
Not so, according to global parenting expert Jo Frost , who told HELLO! exactly why Charlotte and Louis would never be the ‘heir and spare’ to their big brother. “I think William and Catherine understand the importance of nurturing the sibling relationships between the three of them,” Jo said.
“Dare I say it, in their family it would never be the ‘heir and spare’. It would be about the importance of all of them. The understanding that it really takes a team, with the important roles in upholding the crown and the monarchy. And so, we’re seeing these very early seeds now, with respect to what it means to support each other and to nurture together.”
According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, William and Kate are already striving to normalize their younger children’s lives with the hope they never feel that working as royals is their only option. “William and Kate must be acutely aware of the problems for a royal spare,” Jennie told OK. “They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I’m sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George.
“I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold… it could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished. I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love.
“From there, they will want him to find a life that is both meaningful to him and right for the son of a future king.” They will try to make him feel like he is living a meaningful life, no matter what his position is in the family tree. This will probably involve some kind of service, since they have made it clear from the start that they want their children to know that caring about other people is not only kind, but also rewarding.