Both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew Have Been Living With a Royal ‘Curse’
There are a lot of similarities between different royals, especially when they find themselves in situations that are unique to the royal family. For example, royal watchers have pointed out that there seems to be a “curse” that some royals, like Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, live with. Read on below to find out what this “curse” is.
Prince Andrew had to deal with the ‘curse’ of being a royal ‘spare’
While birth order might not matter much to a lot of average folks, for royals, this can determine what the rest of their lives will be like.
Prince Andrew is the second son of Queen Elizabeth, which means he has always been known as the “spare” prince since his birth. Meanwhile, his older brother, Prince Charles, is the “heir” to the throne. Because of Andrew’s “spare” status, he was not often given the same attention Charles got growing up. Yet, being a royal puts limits on many things he does.
An anonymous source explained to The New York Times in 2015, “To be a spare is a horrendously difficult human position. It’s hard to be royal in any case, with the lack of freedom involved. But if you’re the spare, and people look up to you to preserve all family values, but you have no real role, it’s immensely frustrating.”
The news outlet wrote that, according to many experts, Andrew’s lack of a real role in the royal family drove him to become friends with wealthy but corrupt people. This ultimately bit him hard when he became involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking scandal.
Prince Harry is also a royal ‘spare’
Prince Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles. With his older brother, Prince William, training to be king one day, Harry has also fallen into the position of a “spare” like Andrew.
Royal biographer Robert Lacey claims that Harry has been “treated harshly” by the royal family, who often prioritizes William and his work over what Harry does.
“I would say William has been more kindly treated than Harry has been, but that has always been the fate of the spare,” Lacey said, as reported by Marie Claire. “Harry follows, sadly, in the tradition of Princess Margaret or Prince Andrew as number twos in the system, who are treated harshly by the logic of the royal system which actually favors the main bloodline.”
According to the biography Finding Freedom, author Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand alleges that this treatment from the royal family is part of the reason why Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, decided to step down as senior royals in early 2020.
Prince Harry’s new projects in the U.S. could help him break the ‘curse’
Harry and Meghan are living in the U.S. now and is pursuing new projects separate from the royal family. For example, they signed a deal with Netflix to produce their own content for the streaming platform.
The couple has also set up their own philanthropic organization called Archewell. Royal expert Nigel Cawthorne believes Archewell could help Harry stand on his own and ultimately “escape the curse” he has lived with for so long.
“Archewell will allow Harry to focus on what sets him apart through his achievements, the things he feels passionate about, rather than the royal pedigree he shares with his family,” Cawthorne said to Express. “It will be important for [Harry and Meghan] to show that they can create success on their own terms rather than through becoming a Californian outpost of the Royal Family in exile like Harry’s relative the Duke of Windsor.”
