Prince Harry Had a Heartbreaking Remark About His Childhood With William: ‘I Was The...'

In his explosive memoir, 'Spare', Harry laid bare his feelings of being a second child in the royal family.

Prince Harry once made a heartbreaking comment about his early years with his brother, Prince William. Harry's nine-word remark offered insights into how his life was dictated from the moment he was born. Harry said that he had to play a role he never chose—the 'spare'. Given how it defined his life, the harsh label also became the title of his explosive memoir, where he laid bare his feelings of being the second child.

“I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B.” pic.twitter.com/GUsbDCpz77

— stefan (@CaesarStefano) January 15, 2023

As reported by the Daily Express, Harry wrote, "I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B." He explained, "I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion, and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow. This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter."

"I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide back-up, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow" ?#spare
Pity party..

— Astrolab (@astrolab0123) January 10, 2023

Even after stepping away from royal life, the label still haunted Harry. Commenting on the same, royal biographer Ingrid Seward opined that Harry turned it into his post-royal identity. Seward said, "He chooses to be the victim and wreak vengeance on the slights he thought he had suffered; on his family, on the press, and through the courts. [It’s] how Harry chose to see himself." Royal author, Christopher Andersen, also echoed that there is a deep reason why being a spare still hurts the Duke of Sussex.

As reported by Fox News, he said, "Harry was always in the shadow of his big brother, and it had a profound effect on his self-confidence or lack thereof." Andersen added, "Within the royal family, the focus was always on William. Outside the royal family, the focus was always on William. If there was a social situation, or a ceremonial situation, or even a family get-together, Harry was shunted aside, and in many cases completely ignored… When these things happen to you, beginning in infancy, you are going to build up some resentment." The author also revealed that Princess Diana released this early on and stepped in to help avoid Harry from being sidelined. One small thing Diana insisted on in the early years of Harry and William was to dress the same, despite the boys hating it.

Harry’s not the first royal to bear the title of spare—and he won’t be the last. Across generations and across monarchies, history is full of second-borns navigating life in the shadow of the crown. Princess Charlotte, for instance, will always come second to Prince George, but will have brother Prince Louis to share the same fate with. Realizing this fact, parents Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are known to treat their kids the same while also preparing them for their future roles.