Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Sharing Burden as Spares

Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis on VE Day — (Image credit: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

When Prince William becomes king, Prince George will become the heir apparent. Despite also being the Prince of Wales's children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will arguably never feel the pressure their older brother faces. As such, they're sometimes referred to as "spares"—a term Prince Harry has written about at length. Now, a royal expert is discussing how Prince George's future role might impact his siblings.

Speaking to Harper's BAZAAR, royal biographer Christopher Andersen said of the situation, "They pretty much lavish equal attention on all three, while at the same time nurturing their distinct and different personalities."

Andersen continued, "[T]he good thing is that Charlotte and Louis can share the burden [as spares], if one wishes to call it that." Essentially, Charlotte and Louis have one another to lean on should any difficulties arise in the future.

Royal biographer Robert Jobson also spoke to the outlet about how Princess Kate and Prince William are raising their three children. Alluding to the Princess of Wales's own childhood, Jobson said, "[The Middleton children] were loved equally." He continued, "So she's studied it as well as coming from a family where there isn't [the heir and spare] dynamic."

King Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate wearing uniforms and dress outfits on the balcony of Buckingham Palace — "They pretty much lavish equal attention on all three."

Jobson suggested that much of the jealousy between royal siblings arises due to the heir apparent inheriting a lucrative duchy, which provides them with a handsome annual income.

"And the No. 2 son and No. 2 daughter don't get anywhere near that money," Jobson told the outlet. "A lot of this comes down to money and jealousy and who's higher up the totem pole. Someone's going to have to be the chief, and that's the way it works. And heavy is the head that wears the crown."

However, it appears as though Kate and William are doing everything in their power to ensure George, Charlotte, and Louis feel equally loved.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.