- Royal experts can point to many ways in which Prince Harry has taken after his great-aunt, Princess Margaret.
- Both Harry and Margaret were the "spare" in their families, both went through well-documented rebellious phases, and both fell in love with people who didn't fit the mold for people marrying into the royal family, Harry with Meghan Markle, a divorcee and the first person of color in the modern monarchy, and Margaret with Peter Townsend, who was divorced.
- According to royal biographer Andrew Morton, "Margaret put duty before herself. The wheel turns, 70 years later, and we have another couple having to make a decision: Do they put duty first or their own ambitions and desires first? And they put their own ambitions and desires first. That is the change we have witnessed during the Queen's reign."
Prince Harry has a lot in common with his great-aunt, Princess Margaret. Both royals were considered the "spare"—that is, the second-born child in their families (after the first-born, known as the "heir") and far enough back in the line of succession to be unlikely to ever take the throne themselves. This can be a tough situation, since the "spare" is often expected to take on a lot of the responsibilities that come with being royal even though they probably won't become the monarch.
In addition to being the "spares" in their families, Margaret and Harry were also both known for their rebellious streaks in their youth and both fell in love with people who didn't fit the mold of a royal love interest, Harry with Meghan Markle, and Margaret with Peter Townsend, whose previous marriage and divorce made him a very unorthodox royal suitor at the time.
In a new interview with People to promote his new book Elizabeth & Margaret: the Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, royal biographer Andrew Morton discussed how Harry, who stepped back from royal duties with his Meghan last year, and Margaret, who ultimately called off her engagement to Townsend when faced with a choice between love and royal duty, came to very different decisions when it came to love.
"Margaret put duty before herself," Morton said. "The wheel turns, 70 years later, and we have another couple having to make a decision: Do they put duty first or their own ambitions and desires first? And they put their own ambitions and desires first. That is the change we have witnessed during the Queen's reign."
Morton also pointed out that Prince William and Queen Elizabeth, Harry and Margaret's respective older siblings, have a lot in common as well.
"In both cases you have one sibling who pushes boundaries, while the other is more serious, more cautious," Morton added. "At one point, William and Harry were both part of the main branch of monarchy. Then William marries and has children, and his children take precedence. Whereas Harry is an ancillary branch in exactly the same way as Margaret."
RELATED STORIES
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
This Week's Best On-Sale Picks Include Designer Sneakers and Spring Workwear
It's time to build up your warm-weather office wardrobe.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Cardi B Says It’s Not Easy to Find Looks That Fit Her Body Type: “This Body Is Not Meant for a Size 2”
Cardi and her stylist, Kollin Carter, talked about opening up doors for women of different body types through their example as a team.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
‘Saturday Night Live’ Alum Cecily Strong Is Engaged—and the Proposal Absolutely Did Not Go According to Plan
“Can I just wear the damn ring now?”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Royal Author Says Prince Harry Is Discussing Writing a Sequel to ‘Spare’—But This Book Will Have a More “Conciliatory” Tone
Upon its January 2023 release, ‘Spare’ became one of the best-selling books of all time, and if Meghan Markle wrote a memoir, it would no doubt be a bestseller, too.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Is Reportedly Planning to See King Charles Again When He Is in the U.K. in 6 Weeks
Like their February meetup, the meeting between father and son will be kept “short and formal.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Prince Harry Have Had Serious Issues in Their Relationship As Far Back as 2002, Royal Biographer Says
So no, for the (hopefully) last time, it wasn’t Meghan Markle’s fault.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle Looks to Break Into the Beauty Space, Intending to Sell Fragrance, Makeup, Candles, and More with Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard
The latest update to the company’s trademark application is extremely compelling (and extensive).
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Reportedly Being “Left Out of Any Details Regarding Kate”
The Prince and Princess of Wales have a tighter-than-ever circle around them as Kate recovers from abdominal surgery.
By Marie Claire Editors Published
-
Prince Harry Is Reportedly “Worried” About Sister-in-Law Kate Middleton After Seeing Mother Princess Diana and Wife Meghan Markle Endure Similar Public Vitriol
Harry and Kate were once famously close.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Bios on the Official Royal Family Website Look Really Different Today
It’s apparently a result of a “long overdue update.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
If You Want to Buy Jellies and Jams, Napkin Rings, and Recipe Books from Meghan Markle, You're In Luck
Here’s what we know about Meghan’s new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard—including the poignant reason why she likely chose to hard launch it yesterday.
By Rachel Burchfield Published