Kate Middleton and Prince William Are “Acutely Aware” of Challenges Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Could Face

The infamous “heir and spare” dynamic between brothers Prince William and Prince Harry was so intense that the latter named his 2023 memoir Spare—and William and wife Kate Middleton are very intentionally trying to avoid their two younger children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, from ever feeling like a “spare” to the heir to the throne, their eldest child Prince George.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are “acutely aware” of possible problems for Charlotte and Louis and are extremely protective of all three of their children, royal commentator Jennie Bond said, per The Daily Express.

“William and Kate must be acutely aware of the problems for a royal spare,” Bond said. “They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I’m sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved, and valued as George.”

Of Louis—William and Kate’s youngest—Bond told The Mirror, “I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold.”

“It could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished,” Bond added. “I’m sure they will encourage him to go to university, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love.”

Much has changed in the royal family stratosphere since William and Kate met and fell in love at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in the early aughts. While George’s future is somewhat decided for him—spoiler alert: he’ll be King one day—he will likely get the chance to pursue passions of his own before becoming a working royal full-time. As for Charlotte and Louis, it remains unclear if they’ll work for the Firm (like King Charles’ younger siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward do, and like Prince Andrew once did) or if they’ll pursue completely independent lives, away from full-time royal work. Bond is speaking about Louis specifically, but William and Kate’s feelings likely apply to all three of their kids when she said that after Louis finishes university, “they will want him to find a life that is meaningful to him as well as appropriate for the son of a future King.”

“They will try to ensure that he feels he is living a life of value irrespective of his place in the line of succession, and that will probably involve service of some kind, as they have emphasized from the start that they want their children to understand that having empathy with others is not only a kindness, but is rewarding as well,” Bond continued.

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