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Prince Harry reportedly made an unsolicited remark about Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis during the height of his rift with the Royal Family — a comment that is said to have deeply upset his brother, Prince William, according to a leading royal expert.
Prince Harry has frequently reflected on his position as the so-called spare to his older brother — even choosing it as the title of his memoir. He has spoken openly about the toll that role took on his mental health and has also expressed concern for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, whom he has described as being in a similar position behind their elder brother, Prince George.
Harry made the remarks during an interview with The Telegraph while promoting his book, saying: “Though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare and that hurts, that worries me.”
Prince William has never publicly addressed his rift with Harry, but one royal expert has suggested he would not have welcomed comments involving his children.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine that Harry clearly carries deep resentment about being the spare, but that does not mean William and Catherine’s children will grow up feeling the same way.
She added that if you look at the Duke of Edinburgh, and especially the Princess Royal, neither of them saw themselves as spares. They carved out their own roles, never appeared to feel second best, and worked hard on their own terms.
Jennie went on to explain that “Charlotte and Louis will be very important people with enormous privilege and a huge platform, so there is no reason for them to feel like spares. Just because Harry felt that way does not mean his nieces and nephews will.”
While it is understood that Prince George is destined to inherit the throne, he is said to be treated no differently from his siblings by Prince William and Kate Middleton. The couple are reportedly committed to giving their children as normal a upbringing as possible.
A source previously told the Daily Mail about family life at home, saying: “I think people would be surprised by just how ordinary things are.”
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The source added that the children help set the table, clear their plates after meals and take part in tidying up, with no special treatment given to any of them.
For Prince William, ensuring that his three children grow up with a sense of normality is especially important. He himself was raised knowing he would one day become King — just as his eldest son, Prince George, is now. But before royal responsibilities take centre stage, William is determined that George, along with his siblings, experiences a childhood that feels as ordinary and emotionally supportive as possible.
As William once put it in 2016: As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family. I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense.
