Prince Harry’s heartbreaking fear for Prince William and Kate’s children
Prince Harry has opened up about his relationship with his brother Prince William and his fears for the future of the monarchy

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Close-up showing Prince Harry talking to Prince William, who has his head bent low listening
Harry and older brother William have become estranged (Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry has voiced his concerns for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, despite the apparent rift with his estranged older brother.

The Duke of Sussex, who stepped back from Royal duties in 2020, still ponders over the institution he departed from and the future roles of his niece and nephews, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Harry and wife Meghan Markle are living in the US with their two children.

During a 2023 interview with the Daily Telegraph to discuss his revealing memoir, titled Spare, Harry shared his innate desire to “someone who likes to fix things,” and his worries for the younger “spares” in his family.

“I know full well, within my family, if it’s not us, it’s going to be someone else,” he disclosed. “And though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.”

In Spare, Harry delves into the complexities of growing up as the second son, often overshadowed by William. He reminisces about their childhood times reports the Mirror, including sharing a room at the Royal’s summer spot in Scotland at Balmoral Castle.

getty
The former ‘Fab Four’ are no longer on speaking terms (Image: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Harry revealed in his memoir that his brother William’s side of the room was larger and boasted a “beautiful window looking down on the courtyard, the fountain, the bronze statue of a roe deer buck,” while his own half was significantly smaller and less luxurious,

“Two years older than me, Willy was the Heir, whereas I was the Spare. This wasn’t merely how the press referred to us – though it was definitely that. This was shorthand often used by Pa and Mummy and Grandpa. And even Granny,” he added.

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He further explained: “The Heir and the Spare – there was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity. 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.”

In another part of his memoir, he shared: “I was 20 the first time I heard the story of what Pa allegedly said to Mummy the day of my birth: Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare – my work is done. A joke. Presumably. On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of high comedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet with his girlfriend. So. Many a true word spoken in jest.”

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