Harry Reveals William Told Him His Kids Weren't His Responsibility: 'One Of Them Will End Up Like Me'
The 'Heir and Spare' situation in the royal household has often been ruthless, with history repeatedly proving just how toxic the arrangement can become. Over centuries, most spares turn against the heirs, and the toxic loop has even plagued George VI (father of the late Queen Elizabeth II) and Henry VIII. Today, Prince Harry and Prince William find themselves entangled in a modern version of the same struggle, with William destined for the throne. Yet Harry’s concerns extend beyond their own generation; he fears the corrosive pattern could reach the next set of spares, which includes Princess Charlotte.
Once William ascends the throne, his eldest son, Prince George, will eventually follow, positioning Charlotte as the spare, and notably, the first female to precede her younger brother, Prince Louis, due to the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act. William and Princess Kate are trying their best to ensure their kids don't end up like the unfortunate heir and spare duos, but seems like it's not only them who are concerned about it. Harry, too, has expressed deep concern for his nephews and niece and even raised the issue with his brother. Unfortunately, the conversation did not unfold as he had hoped.
During the promotions of his memoir, Spare in 2023, Harry expressed his worries for his nephews and niece. He was scared "out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. Apparently, Harry even had the conversation with his brother, and the latter made it clear to him that his "children are not his responsibility." William took it upon himself to navigate Charlotte's role as the "spare," highlighted Express.
"And 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," Harry shared during his interview with the Telegraph. Harry had his own beliefs as a spare, which he penned in his memoir, and he didn't want his niece to have the same experiences. "I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy," wrote the Duke in his memoir.
However, royal experts don't think Charlotte will have the same fate as the previous spares. The former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, said in a documentary that George, Charlotte, and Louis are being raised as equals. "This is the key to unpacking and shifting expectations of our heirs and spares," she added. The kids have more freedom and choices than their father.
While Harry struggled to find his own identity, his nephew and niece will not meet the same fate. "My family had declared me a nullity. The Spare. I didn't complain about it, but I didn't need to dwell on it either. Far better, in my mind, not to think about certain facts... But no one gave a damn whom I traveled with; the Spare could always be spared," he penned in his memoir, expressing his fight in his own family.