Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton want their children to feel better about royal life than their uncle Prince Harry did.
In a Harper’s Bazaar article published on Friday, September 26, royal experts explained how William and Kate, both 43, are parenting their three kids — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — with a different mindset than the previous generation.
Royal biographer Christopher Andersen told the outlet that Harry, 41, grew up feeling “lesser than” since he was considered the spare to the heir, so William and Kate “are making sure that none of their children suffer that fate.”
“They pretty much lavish equal attention on all three, while at the same time nurturing their distinct and different personalities,” Andersen said, noting that instead of being viewed as spares, “the good thing is that Charlotte and Louis can share the burden, if one wishes to call it that.”
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Royal historian Marlene Koenig seconded Andersen’s assessment of the Wales family.
“I think they’re just much more hands-on parents who make sure that all of their children know they’re loved and that they have a place in the family,” she told the outlet. “I think they’re just trying to be much more realistic parents. Even though they’re raising one to be a king, [they’re] making sure that all of the children know they have a place that they have support and that they’re loved.”
Koenig added that William and Kate have “taken their time to make sure that their kids have grown up in [royalty] with a solid foundation,” pointing out how the couple are “shielding their children” while simultaneously “easing them into what their lives are going to be serving the crown.”
Harry and wife Meghan Markle famously left their royal roles in 2020 amid tension with his family, and the rift only deepened after their exit. The Duke of Sussex later titled his 2023 memoir Spare.
“I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B,” he wrote in the book. “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy.”