Prince William and Kate Middleton battle Prince Harry’s ‘spare’ curse with bold parenting changes: experts
Prince William and Kate Middleton are determined not to raise a royal "spare."
The couple’s youngest son, Prince Louis, is celebrating his seventh birthday on Wednesday. While party plans have been kept under wraps, his mother will likely bake him a cake, a tradition that, according to reports, she has maintained with her three children.
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital it’s one of the many things the couple has been adamant about to ensure Louis, as well as Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are treated like equals. They cited Prince Harry’s struggles with being the "spare," which he documented in his explosive tell-all.
KATE MIDDLETON PUTS FOOT DOWN WITH ROYAL CHILDREN, ‘BARBARIC’ RITUAL: EXPERT
"They are both determined to avoid the traditional ‘heir and spare’ dynamic by emphasizing that Prince George is the ‘first among equals,’ so that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are treated as his equals," British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
"This ensures they all feel valued and included, rather than sidelined or overshadowed," she added.
Harry’s memoir "Spare" was published in 2023, depicting the Duke of Sussex as an unhappy royal who attempted to find his way over the years. The 40-year-old's story is dominated by his rivalry with elder brother William, heir to the British throne, and the death of their mother, Princess Diana.
Harry, who is tormented by his status as a "spare," recounts a longstanding sibling rivalry that worsened after he began a relationship with American actress Meghan Markle, whom he married in 2018.
According to reports, William and Harry are not on speaking terms.
Fordwich pointed out that William and Kate have put on a united front over the years in giving their children as normal an upbringing as possible. They were determined, she said, to make sure that none of their children felt they were a "spare" within their household.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"William and Kate accomplished this by working as a family unit, for household chores, cooking and the like," she explained. "Previous royal generations relied heavily on nannies, whilst their parents focused on royal duties, thereby leaving little time for hands-on involvement. This resulted in their children feeling emotionally neglected."
"Both William and Kate, untraditionally for royals, are very involved in their children’s daily lives, from school runs to bedtime routines," she shared.
"They’ve maintained strong family bonds, a sense of normalcy and are reducing feelings of isolation, as well as favoritism. This is in stark contrast to William and Harry’s childhood, which was plagued by their parents’ highly publicized, acrimonious divorce, as well as the frequent pressures of royal life."
While heirs have a predestined fate, spares have no defined role and often struggle to find a meaningful purpose as they’re thrust into the spotlight, Vogue.com reported. The outlet noted that as time goes on, a spare’s importance and influence "wane along with their place in the line of succession."
"The younger-sibling syndrome is an enduring problem," said Robert Lacy, author of "Battle of Brothers," as quoted by the outlet. "The system has not found a way of giving them the recognition that they need."
But it’s different for William and Kate, Fordwich insisted.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
"Harry has frequently complained that his pain was neither comforted nor acknowledged," she said. "William is most determined to create a close-knit, emotionally supportive family. He and Kate have always prioritized their relationship, as well as family togetherness, in the hope that they’ll be able to avoid the chaos and emotional fallout William experienced as a boy."
"It was Kate’s stable home life that was a great part of his attraction to her," she shared. "He appreciated how empathetic she was, her calm discipline and her ability to provide a comforting, happy home. This, they believe, will ensure their children are more resilient and family-oriented."
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner also told Fox News Digital that William and Kate’s children are "all treated the same" despite their royal titles. George, 11, is second in line to the British throne.
"William and Kate have taken a more modern approach [to parenting]," he said. "For example, this year they decided to be [together] on Easter Sunday rather than go to the royal service at Windsor. Louis is not left out of anything. They are a very tight-knit family in that way."
Pelham Turner noted that William had long been aware of how deeply the "spare" role impacted his younger brother.
"William had always favored meetings with the late queen each Sunday," he said. "She was teaching him monarchy diplomacy, leaving Harry behind."
The UK’s Express previously reported that the Queen Mother, William and Harry’s great-grandmother, would often exclude Harry from gatherings as a child, giving preferential treatment to the future king. The outlet claimed this treatment made Harry "envious" and prone to lashing out.
Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," previously told Fox News Digital there’s good reason why the term continues to haunt Harry.
"Harry was always in the shadow of his big brother, and it had a profound effect on his self-confidence — or lack thereof," Andersen explained.
"Within the royal family, the focus was always on William. Outside the royal family, the focus was always on William. If there was a social situation, or a ceremonial situation, or even a family get-together, Harry was shunted aside, and in many cases completely ignored… When these things happen to you beginning in infancy, obviously you're going to build up some resentment."
"Anybody who doesn't think that Harry feels used and abused — and to some extent he undoubtedly was — isn't paying very close attention," Andersen added.
Andersen described how Diana intervened when she realized that the prince was being cast aside.
"One particularly touching example occurred when the beloved Queen Mother had the brothers for tea at Clarence House and made Harry sit in a separate corner alone while she chatted with William," Andersen explained. "William was going to be king. William was the important one. The royal family traditionally has never been known for either its sensitivity or subtlety."
"Diana tried to change that… But frankly, Diana knew that Harry would have a tough row to hoe," Andersen shared.
"She hoped he could find his way and not be suffocated in the looming shadow of his big brother… Then, imagine how that was amplified by Diana's death just days before Harry's 13th birthday.
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON LEARN FROM PRINCESS DIANA'S MARRIAGE
"It wasn't long before the adorable scamp was unfairly turned into a drug-using problem child. And as we know from Harry’s book, to some extent, that was engineered by the palace to make [his father] Charles and [his wife] Camilla look good."
Royal author Robert Lacey told "Good Morning America" in 2020 that Harry’s unhappiness with being known as the royal "spare" continued to grow over the years. Lacey told the outlet it worsened when it became obvious that William and Kate were being prepped to take over the throne one day.
"The British royal system can be very cruel, and it's particularly cruel to the spare," said Lacey. "Harry came to realize… that he was typecast as the court jester, the No. 2."
Harry and his wife Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They’re residing in California where they are raising their two young children.