Author Claims William and Kate Will ‘Rip Up' the Royal Playbook for 'Spares' Charlotte and Louis
Prince William and Kate Middleton are likely to carve out a different monarchy when King and Queen, starting with their youngest, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. While Prince George’s path is already charted as the future King, Charlotte and Louis are expected to be offered a level of freedom and flexibility rarely afforded to past generations of 'spares'. Keen to dodge the emotional potholes of the past, as with Prince Harry, William and Middleton will reportedly flip the script, making family time the headline act rather than an afterthought, unlike King Charles, whose sons often joked that he had a permanent office chair glued to him.
Royal commentators recently suggested that the Prince and Princess of Wales are preparing to forgo the royal playbook when it comes to what’s expected of Charlotte and Louis. That means not automatically steering them toward full-time royal duties, unless, of course, they want to. “It’s not like it was in Charles’s youth. Nowadays, children make their own decisions,” royal author Ingrid Seward told The I Paper. “It’s just so different from when even William was brought up. I think children have immense choices now that they didn’t have even 15 years ago.”
Historian Marlene Koenig echoed, “William and Catherine, to a certain extent, are going to rip up the rule book and do it their way.” The comments come as the monarchy continues to undergo a slow but significant transformation, particularly under Charles’s reign. With fewer working royals now in the picture, following Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal exit and Prince Andrew’s scandal-fueled fall from grace, the focus is on creating a leaner Firm, not locking Charlotte and Louis into lifelong royal roles, GB News reported.
There’s also speculation that only one of the two siblings might remain in the institution in an official capacity. “I would imagine Charlotte will be part of the picture. I’m not so sure about Louis,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said. Charlotte, currently third in line to the throne, already displays a comfort with public life that draws comparisons to her great-aunt Princess Anne, who remains the hardest-working royal in terms of engagements. Louis, meanwhile, who is fourth in line, has largely been shielded from the spotlight, saved for a few cheeky balcony appearances.
The precedent for royals branching out is slowly being built. Prince Edward’s children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, have not taken on royal titles or official duties. Edward himself was the last to be handed a full-time role within the Firm, while Anne has famously said no to titles for her children altogether. Harry’s departure in 2020 was the most high-profile example of opting out, though his request for a 'half-in,half-out' role was swiftly denied. Still, his exit made it clear, the idea of duty for duty’s sake may no longer work in the modern monarchy.