4 Times King Charles Made Harry’s ‘Spare’ Status Impossible to Ignore

Prince Harry has often spoken about feeling like the family's 'spare,' always coming second to Prince William, the 'heir.' And on many occasions, it was King Charles himself who made that difference in their positions hard to ignore. Harry revealed a few such instances in his bombshell memoir, taking us back to his childhood.

There were moments when the difference between Harry and William’s positions was made clear. In Spare, Harry revealed a comment Charles allegedly made to Princess Diana on the day he was born. According to Harry, his father told his mother, “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare — my work is done.” Although the comment was meant as a joke, the Duke of Sussex stressed, “So, many a true word spoken in jest.” He also said this was not just something he felt in the public eye, but something that was “regularly reinforced” at home, including by Charles and Prince Philip.

Charles’ coronation in May 2023 was an important moment for the Royal Family, and all the senior royals took on different roles throughout the ceremony. Although Harry had already stepped down, he attended the coronation but had no formal role and sat in the third row, behind the senior working royals. He also did not take part in the procession back to Buckingham Palace or appear on the balcony with Charles and other members of the family. Meanwhile, William had one of the most important roles in the ceremony, kneeling before his father and pledging his allegiance to him. While one might argue Harry was no longer a working royal, as the King’s younger son, it struck many as odd that he had no role in his father's big day.

Harry’s place in the Royal Family becomes even sadder when one looks back at the Frogmore fiasco. After stepping down as a working royal, he and Meghan Markle were allowed to keep Frogmore Cottage as their base when visiting Britain. But in 2023, just weeks after the release of Spare, they were asked to give up the Windsor home, leaving them without a base in the UK. The situation is rather different for his disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was removed from royal duties over his ties to Epstein. Although Mountbatten-Windsor lost Royal Lodge, he was given a new home at Marsh Farm on Charles’ Sandringham Estate.

Harry’s security has been a long-running issue since he and Markle stepped down from royal duties. In 2025, after losing his appeal over the decision, Harry told the BBC, “I can only come to the UK safely if I'm invited... There is a lot of control and ability in my father's hands.” His concerns were serious given a recent security assessment identified six terrorist plots targeting him, five of which originated in the UK. Yet when Harry returned to the UK, he was still not given state-funded protection beyond a police liaison number. Meanwhile, the disgraced former Prince Andrew had security upgrades made at Marsh Farm before he moved in, including a new perimeter fence, CCTV and security lighting, reportedly on Charles' dime. And when he was threatened near the property in May, he was afforded private security.