As the second child of Kate Middleton and Prince William, a royal expert says the young Princess could have a ‘very difficult’ period ahead of her as establishes her role
Anna Pointer and Mitya Underwood Senior Celebrity & Royal Writer
08:00, 31 Jan 2026
The young Princess Charlotte has already become a firm fixture at formal royal events(Image: Getty Images)
Royal experts say that Princess Charlotte may face a “very difficult” period ahead as she navigates the same constitutional trap that famously affected Prince Harry and Princess Margaret.
Despite her current status as a prominent member of the working royal family, appearing with Kate Middleton and Prince William at a number of high-profile events, an expert suggests that due to her being the couple’s second-born child, she faces the inevitable historical “spare” issue that has haunted younger siblings of the heir for generations.
According to ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship, the young princess will eventually have to confront the reality that the monarchy’s focus remains almost entirely on her older brother.
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“It’s a very difficult position to be in,” he explains, noting that Charlotte will likely have to “come to terms with” her position when Prince George eventually becomes King.
Much like the late Princess Margaret, who notoriously struggled to find her footing in the shadow of her older sister Queen Elizabeth II, Charlotte may eventually face the same existential hurdle. During the 1950s, the late Queen’s younger sister notoriously faced a painful clash between expectation and personal happiness.
Her romance with RAF officer Peter Townsend was effectively blocked because he was a divorcee, conflicting with the Church of England’s views on marriage and the Queen’s role as head of the church.
Ultimately, she had to choose between love and protocol, and as Chris says, “There are comparisons between Margaret and Prince Harry; both being spares to the heir without a role of their own. Margaret must have wondered what the point of her even being there was, as it was all about her older sister.”
Harry said he felt he existed in a ‘shadow’ as the younger royal brother(Image: Getty Images)
“He continued, It’s a very difficult position to be in, and it’s probably something Princess Charlotte will also have to come to terms with, when George eventually becomes king and she has to find a role for herself.”
In Harry’s explosive memoir, which he tellingly called Spare, he wrote of being a “shadow” to his brother William. “The Heir and the Spare – there was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity,” he wrote. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy.
“I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow. This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.”
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