Prince William and Kate Middleton Won’t Make Their Kids ‘Spare’ Heirs: ‘They’re Going to Break the Cycle’
Thanks to Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir, Spare, there’s been a lot of talk about the term as it relates to the royal family. “The heir and the spare” or “the spare to the heir” has been a common phrase utilized to describe the monarch and their sibling. In olden times, members of the royal family were encouraged to have multiple offspring (aka spares) as death and disease were commonplace. This way, if the eldest sibling experienced an untimely death, the family would still have a viable heir to the throne. But royal commentators seem to believe that Prince William and Kate Middleton aren’t raising their kids with this mentality.
Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ could speak to something else entirely
Many people feel that Prince Harry will speak about his experience as the “spare” sibling in his novel. However, the Archewell co-founded has stated publicly that he (nor anyone) ever truly has the desire to be king. This has led certain people to believe that his memoir will instead encapsulate his experience of being “spared” from the responsibilities of assuming the throne. But regardless of what the father of two’s book is truly about, it seems that his nephews and niece aren’t being brought up in the heir and spare mentality.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis could escape feeling like spares to Prince George
As the children get older, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ roles within the monarchy will likely grow less defined. This is especially true as they move down the line of succession. However, royal commentators feel that Prince William and Kate will not raise their younger children with the “spare” mentality. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield spoke to Express about how she believes the royals will raise their children with a new mindset.
“I don’t think that it’s going to happen to Prince William’s children,” Schofield said. “I believe that this is where they’re going to break the cycle. I think that they’re going to stop with the spare talk and I think the ‘necessity’ for a spare ends now.” Continuing on, Schofield explained what she believes will happen to Prince William and Kate’s kids. “I think we’ll see his children go off to school, find careers that they’re sincerely passionate about, and be an adult in a way that we never got to see Margaret or Andrew do.”
Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales are trying to provide normalcy for their kids
Who knows if Prince William and Kate will really be able to spare their younger kids from the spare mentality. However, the parents have made some decisions that seemingly provide their children with more normalcy. The Cambridges recently moved their family 25 miles outside of London to Adelaide Cottage. The home provides the family with more privacy. And because the cottage is on sprawling land, the children have the option of playing outside. Furthermore, the children started at new school thanks to the move.
While Prince William and Kate will likely never be able to provide their kids with a truly normal life, they seem to be making a concerted effort. Only time will tell if their children will actually escape the heir and spare mentality that seems to plague the royal family.
Where do Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids fall in the line of succession to the throne?
Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, have three children together. Their eldest, Prince George, is 9 and is second in line for the throne after his father. Princess Charlotte is 7 and is third in line for the throne after her older brother. And finally, the couple’s youngest child, Prince Louis, is 4 and is fourth in line for the throne after his older sister. Of course, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ order in line will shift if Prince George has children, just as it did for Prince Harry.
