After Prince Harry’s latest explosive interview, Prince William is committed more than ever to protecting his children from an heir-and-spare nightmare.
The claim was made by British royals expert Hilary Fordwich, who believes that Harry’s struggles with being a royal “spare” have not only been a “nightmare” for the senior royals today but serve as a cautionary tale for the future of the monarchy.
“Prince William is particularly determined to do all he can to avoid the ‘heir and spare,’ which has caused so many royal nightmares [over] the generations,” Fordwich explained.
“He and Princess Catherine are focused on the importance of ‘normal’ simple childhood moments, such as family chores together, cooking, family holidays, sports and time in nature. They are keen on country walks and bonfires, very British traditions.”
The rift between the Duke of Sussex and his family burst into the open again last week when the prince gave a raw interview to the BBC after losing a court case over his security. In a long and at times emotional conversation, the 40-year-old said he wants reconciliation, while re-airing grievances against the royal family, the U.K. government and the media.
Harry said his father, who is battling cancer, won’t speak to him because of “this security stuff,” a legal wrangle about protection for the prince when he’s in his home country.
“This, at the heart of it, is a family dispute,” he said.
Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, alleging hostility and racist attitudes by the press and royal establishment. Harry’s tell-all 2023 memoir “Spare,” filled with private details about embarrassing revelations, made things worse.
Harry’s latest interview took place on May 2nd, the same day when William’s middle child, Princess Charlotte, turned 10 years old. His eldest son, Prince George, 11, is second in line to the British throne.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“Princess Catherine [like William] is determined to raise Princess Charlotte with a combination of adherence to traditional royal values of duty and public service, as well as a close-knit, loving, nurturing approach in the hopes of avoiding [another] royal ‘spare,’ such as her wayward uncle,” said Fordwich.
Fordwich’s sentiments came shortly after People magazine published a cover story to commemorate Charlotte’s birthday. In the issue, royal experts pointed out how Charlotte being the spare to her brother is in “a vulnerable place” and filled with potential pitfalls that Harry experienced on the world stage.
“The late Queen [Elizabeth] was always very conscious of the extraordinary and challenging role of the No. 2,” royal biographer Robert Hardman, author of “The Making of a King,” told the outlet.
“That’s why she had a particular soft spot for [her sister, Princess] Margaret, for [her son, Prince] Andrew, and [her grandson,] Harry,” he shared. “She understood that being second place in a strictly hierarchical family and institution has its challenges. Everyone is conscious of that.”
In “Spare,” Harry detailed his sibling rivalry with William, 42, and how he struggled to find his way behind palace doors.
“I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B,” he wrote, as quoted by the outlet. “I was brought in the world in case something happened to Willy.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Harry also described that being the spare led to tensions with his brother.
“My family had declared me a nullity. The spare,” he wrote. “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.”
As William prepares to be king one day, Hardman said he wants to “make the whole royal existence approachable and not scary for all his children.”
“Prince William and Princess Catherine know only too well the perils of the heir-and-spare relationship dynamic,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
“We know of numerous heir-and-spare cycles, the spare going slightly off the rails, usually due to feeling undervalued,” she shared.
Chard pointed out prime examples of “royal rebels” who sparked furious backlash due to their actions included Margaret, Andrew and, more recently, Harry.
It’s noted that in “Spare,” Harry also wrote about moments where he felt dismissed or devalued, People magazine reported.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“The Prince and Princess of Wales are taking every step, a conscious decision to prevent the heir-and-spare cycle with their children,” Chard explained. “They are well aware of the pitfalls Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis could face growing up with Prince George.”
“The Prince and Princess of Wales know their minds and are carving out their royal path,” Chard continued. “They are not afraid to tweak and change the traditional royal ways and rules. They prioritize their family. Their children come first. The children are given the love, support and guidance needed for a balanced, successful, healthy future. They are aware their parenting decisions are critical to the success of the crown.”
People magazine reported that looking ahead, Charlotte could be bestowed the title of Princess Royal, a title that her great-aunt, Princess Anne, 74, possesses. The outlet noted the title is ultimately the monarch’s to give, and Charlotte could still choose to decline it.
“The Princess Royal has taken Princess Charlotte under her wing,” Chard claimed. “They have a close bond. Princess Anne is a fabulous role model for Charlotte. She is aware of the trials and tribulations of being the right-hand woman to her brother, King Charles. She steers Charlotte in the happy direction of being the great support, right-hand woman to her brother, future heir Prince George.”
“I feel Princess Charlotte in the future could fulfill the role currently held by Princess Anne, becoming the backbone of royal appearances and duties,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. “Princess Anne is seen as the hardest-working royal, and Charlotte right now seems to have the same steely resolve to do things correctly.”
Charlotte, third in line to the throne, is the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales. A source told People magazine that Charlotte, along with her siblings, is being raised by the couple to “strike a balance between private life and duty.”
Harry currently resides in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito with his wife and two children. He told the BBC that he “can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K.”
The prince said he loves Britain and “it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
Harry claimed that he and his family are endangered when visiting Britain because of hostility aimed at him and Meghan on social media and through relentless hounding by news media.
PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON ‘DEDICATED TO DUTY’ AS MONARCHY’S FUTURE: A REAL PARTNERSHIP
According to several royal experts and multiple reports, Harry and William are not on speaking terms. Sources close to Harry previously told Fox News Digital that Harry’s calls and letters to his father go unanswered.
Fordwich said William has been prioritizing family and duty. She believes his children are on the right path to success, regardless of where they are in the line of succession.
“Those close to the family agree that Princess Charlotte, [in particular], is extremely levelheaded and mature beyond her years, often keeping her brothers, George and Louis, in check during public engagements,” said Chard. “The hope is that when Prince George ascends to the throne, she will be by his side for support, just as Princess Anne has been such a stalwart support for King Charles III.”
In his interview, Harry said he could forgive his family.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry said.
