How Kate Middleton, Prince William are protecting Charlotte from Harry’s fate

Princess Charlotte may be third in line to the throne just like Prince Harry, but her parents Kate Middleton and Prince William won’t let her inherit the hardships that have traditionally come with being a “spare.”

According to People magazine’s latest cover story published May 7, the Prince and Princess of Wales are deeply aware of the emotional challenges that come with being second to the heir — or as Harry calls it, a “spare.”

And they’re determined to do things differently.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman told the outlet, “The late Queen [Elizabeth] was always very conscious of that extraordinary and challenging role of the No. 2.”

“She understood being second place in a strictly hierarchical family and institution has its challenges,” he emphasised, noting how the late Queen always had a “soft spot” for Harry for this very reason.

Hardman added that William sees one of his most important roles as not only preparing to be king, but also “to make the whole royal existence approachable and not scary for all his children.”

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry opened up about how the label shaped him. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B… My family had declared me a nullity. The Spare,” he wrote.

Now 10, Charlotte stands in a very different royal landscape, one shaped by her parents’ more modern approach.

A source tells People she’s being raised to “strike a balance between private life and duty,” with the freedom to shape her own path, whether or not she one day accepts the historic title of Princess Royal.