Prince William & Kate are trying to help their kids avoid heir/spare dilemmas

Prince Louis and the Duke of Cambridge on the balcony, 2019 Trooping the Colour

This week’s People Magazine cover story is all about how Prince William is a “modern king” and how Kate sort of helps him, but it’s mostly about William being a he-man and modeling himself after the Queen. Some PR fluff from the House of Keen, no doubt, but I find it curious that historian Robert Lacey wrote or cowrote the cover story. Lacey seems to have been co-opted by William shortly after Lacey’s Battle of Brothers was published. When Lacey reissued that book this year, he included new chapters which were just… William’s narrative completely. Anyway, People’s latest excerpt from their cover story this week is about how William and Kate understand that everyone will treat each of their children differently. “Keenly” is in the opening sentence, lmao.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are keenly aware of the potential pitfalls that might face their children in the coming decades, and according to a leading historian they’re doing what they can to alleviate those pressures. Veteran historian and author Robert Lacey writes exclusively in this week’s issue of PEOPLE that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 39, are “very conscious of the different destinies awaiting their three children.”

The “heir” and the “spare” issue has often caught the royal family off guard, with second- and third-born children finding their public roles difficult to navigate. In some ways Prince George, 8, has a clear path, following his dad William, 39, and his grandfather Prince Charles, 72. But as for Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, Lacey writes, “How will the younger brother and sister cope with the challenges encountered by Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry?”

Those issues have “blighted” three generations, and “William is working with Kate to help all their children develop what they find personally fulfilling,” Lacey asserts.

Writes the historian, “As royal parents, both Kate and William have focused on … working to ensure that all three of their children enjoy the peaceful childhood that eluded William and Harry.”

[From People]

I mean… yes, it’s true that Harry and William’s childhood was marred by their parents’ separation and divorce, but it’s also true that Charles and Diana both used their sons as props in their divorce war. While Lacey seems to be saying – in his own way – that William and Kate are going to stay together for the sake of the children, let’s also be real: the Cambridge kids are being used as props too. Just like William and Harry were. The invisible contract, etc. The British media yanks on Will and Kate’s leash and suddenly there are new photos of the kids, or a pub-lunch set up or a creepy denim ad or what have you.

As for Will and Kate being keenly aware of how their kids will be treated differently… dollars to donuts, they are already reinforcing those differences themselves. We’ve seen it already, that George is separated from his sister and brother, that George gets different gifts and different kinds of attention. Just toss this whole f–king system, my God. There’s been enough generational trauma.

PS… Guess who flew on a private plane to Northern Ireland?

The Cambridge Family attend a special Christmas Pantomime performance at London's Palladium Theatre

Prince Louis christening

Royal Portrait

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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92 Responses to “Prince William & Kate are trying to help their kids avoid heir/spare dilemmas”

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  1. Becks1 says:

    If they’re trying to avoid the heir/spare dynamic, they’re not off to a very good start.

    george – special photoshoots, special presents, special outings to football matches with his father.

    Charlotte and Louis – they get to stay home.

    Sure, that’s paving the way for a healthy dynamic in the future.

    What this does say to me though is that the Cambridge marriage is over and they’re staying together so the children can have a “peaceful childhood.”

    ETA also, you can’t rewrite a dynamic that is still playing out AND that benefits you. William has no interest in avoiding the heir/spare dynamic because he does not think there’s anything wrong with it .

    • Merricat says:

      Remember when they did the thing with Attenborough, and George was given a gift (which wasn’t actually Attenborough’s to give)? Remember how Charlotte just had to stand there and watch?
      Different lives, but no divorce: so William will help himself to the goodies, and Kate will just stand by and watch.
      Looks like the family dynamic is already at work.

      • Pao says:

        I can see both louis and Charlotte follow harry’s footsteps if I’m honest

        @Becks1: they also can’t avoid the heir/spare dynamic because the press benefits from it. Comparison stories do relatively well.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Which wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t trotted all the kids out for the PR.

        If Attenborough wants to give a gift to the heir and cannot be disuaded? Do that as one event you photograph, where the other kids are not there. If you want your other two children, who will not be working royals, to meet Attenborough? Have a private event, where no gifts are exchanged, and do not release the pics to the press.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Merricat – yup, and Nota is completely right – it would have been a non-issue if they weren’t using the kids for PR. They could have had it been a one-on-one meeting with George and Attenborough (still problematic bc the other kids are being left out but at least you can fall back on “hes the future king.”)

        They’ve already established this dynamic where C&L are meant to prop up George and are being exposed to the press but are being treated as lesser than bc they aren’t the heir. So if they really want to avoid that, establishing C&L NOW as private citizens is the best way.

      • Emmitt says:

        @Pao: Charlotte & Louis will never go the Harry way. They are probably being taught right now that Uncle Harry is bad, he went to America with Meghan and her children and abandoned the family, that Harry abandoned and hurt their daddy when he needed him the most, that Harry disrespected the Queen to run off with that woman and her children etc. etc. They will never contact or have any interaction with Harry or their cousins Archie & Lili; in fact they will probably be taught that Archie & Lili are that woman’s children and not Harry’s. They will never have any type of relationship with Archie or Lili. As adults, they will never be allowed to marry a foreign spouse unless that spouse is from a white Commonwealth country and it will be ensured that any spouse they take will be 100% loyal to the crown. They will never be allowed to travel to the United States unless under close supervision and any friendship between themselves and an American will be shut down immediately.

        There’s not going to be a repeat of Harry with Charlotte & Louis. They are trapped and the royal system is going to ensure they stay trapped.

      • Merricat says:

        Emmitt, children are different than hostages in that the more control is exerted over an individual child, the more likely it is that he or she will fight against it in some way, especially in adolescence.
        Those Cambridge spares will think about the rebels who left to live their free lives, and they will yearn for that freedom themselves, if they aren’t completely addicted to living off taxpayers by then.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Emmitt – part of me agrees with, H&M are going to be discussed the way the Duke of Windsor is/was, and the same way his abdication has resulted in the queen’s obsession with staying on the throne and not abdicating, Harry’s leaving will result in the Cambridge children being obsessed with their roles as working royals.

        But, part of me agrees with Merricat, in that these children may be taught to hate Harry, but the Cambridges won’t be in total charge of the narrative. They’re going to see things like Archie and Lili going on expensive vacations (like they will) but without having to pose for pictures for the press. They’ll notice that Archie and Lili don’t have to pose on the first day of school, or have the press there whenever they start a new school. They’ll notice that H&M do whatever the eff they want and don’t wear hats or coatdresses all the time, and they ARE going to piece it together and form their own opinions on who has the better life.

        The Cambridges won’t be able to totally brainwash them because the world is very different than it was 70 years ago.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Emmitt, Harry has paved the way for the public to demand a smaller monarchy. Most other monarchies only have heir as working royal, the BRF may be forced to follow that model. The sooner the Windsors recognize that, the better. Whether or not they’re raised to hate their aunt and uncle? They won’t be hating them from taxpayer-funded palaces on the royal dole the rest of their lives.

      • Emmitt says:

        The Cambridge children will never look at Archie and Lili as their cousins so there would be nothing for them to be jealous about. They will most likely be taught that Archie and Lili are MEGHAN’s children (not Harry’s) and therefore are nothing and no one to them. If Meghan isn’t part of the family, then her children (who are not Harry’s children) aren’t part of the family either. What did William say when the reporter asked him about the birth of his nephew (Archie)? He said “Well I already have a nephew (Pippa’s kid).” If William does not consider Archie & Lili to be his nephew & niece, but rather, MEGHAN’S CHILDREN (not Harry’s), George, Charlotte & Louis aren’t going to care that some lady’s kids in America are doing this that or the other; those kids aren’t royal like WE are.

        Sure, the kids will grow up and they could pull up Google and see what happened between 2018 and 2021 but it’s more likely they will feel Mom & Dad were justified in sending that woman who tried to destroy their family back to America and poor stupid Uncle Harry ran off with her and her kids to have fun in America instead of doing his duty in the UK.

        Even if George, Charlotte or Louis pulled up Google, found out the truth and wanted to establish a relationship with Uncle Harry and their cousins Archie & Lili they would never be permitted to, even as adults.

        And it may not even matter if George, Charlotte or Louis want to have a cousins relationship with Archie & Lili when they all grow up because Archie & Lili may not want anything to do with them…any of them. The same Google the Cambridge kids can use to pull up what really happened with Uncle Harry & his wife and kids is the same Google the Sussex kids can pull up to find out how terribly their dad’s family treated their mom.

        Aristo kids in Britain aren’t hardly thinking about the BIGFUN random mixed kids in America are having, and the Cambridge kids aren’t going to give two hoots about what that lady’s kids in America are doing…especially if they are taught by their mom and dad that Archie & Lili are Meghan’s kids…not Uncle Harry’s.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Emmitt, that’s a whole lot of projection.

        If they want a relationship with their aunt and uncle, they can choose to have one. If their parents won’t let them now, they will be free to do so once they are 18 and out of their parents control.

        And yes, they will be fully aware they have cousins who live in sunny California, living wealthy private lives not required to pose for cameras.

      • Nic919 says:

        As the Cambridge kids get older they will be exposed to more people than just their parents. Also we don’t know what nanny Maria is like but I suspect she is a huge influence on them too.

        And their school friends won’t all be aristos so they may be exposed to more than just the Harry is the bad uncle scenario they are likely hearing from their parents right now.

        Besides, the fact that Harry is not reliant on taxpayer funds is going to set the example and in a post Brexit world where fights are happening over petrol, the Windsors may need to seriously retrench. Charlotte and Louis may not have the option to be working royals by the time they are old enough for it.

    • swirlmamad says:

      Yes, there are two separate references to W+K “working together” to ensure that the Cambridge kids have a peaceful childhood (To semi-quote their grandfather…”whatever peaceful means”). I don’t “work with” my husband to parent our kids….we are a unit. “Working together” suggests co-parenting/separation/couple on the verge of divorce.

      And I’m giving snaps to Omid for clearly calling out that William and Kate took a private jet to NI. Heh.

      • Christine says:

        I came to the comments for Omid, that was brilliant, on his part! Thank Christ someone is pointing out the utter hypocrisy of this ludicrous family.

    • Nic919 says:

      Both William and Kate are the eldest in their family and both were favourites for their family and treated differently than the others. Neither of them even understands what it is like to treat all kids the same and they haven’t done anything to suggest that they will stop the destructive pattern of placing the heir above the spares. Also their marriage is as messy as Charles and Diana and the concealment from the public (barely) will takes its toll on the kids. There is a photo of them inside the Royal Albert Hall at the premiere and William is standing well further away from Kate, who is noticeably closer to Charles and Camilla. It is similar to what happened at the Euros.

      Omid noting the private jet was funny. And accurate. The total lack of criticism by any of the UK media when he’s promoting Earthshot is just unbelievable hypocrisy.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I don’t think Kate was the fav, she was simply the eldest and first to shove out in to the marriage market. Not that Carole is a cuddly or loving mother, but I see her being closer to Pips or James not Kate.

        The kids have been showing the strain of this charade marriage for a few years now.

      • Nic919 says:

        But as the one who was designated to get William, the resources of the entire family were out behind her to acquire that goal. Pippa and James were afterthoughts for many years. Kate was treated similar to an heir in that she was going to be the one to get them the royal connection.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Kate wasn’t ‘designated’ to get William. Like many girls around William’s age, she dreamed about it, schemed for it, but she made those choices herself. Pippa probably dreamed it too. They wanted that royal title, but any monied aristo would do for either sister. Kate was older, but both sisters were raised to sleep their way to the highest/monied position.

        If Kate hadn’t managed to sleep her way to William’s bed through his friends? Pippa would have thrown herself at him by being in the same friend group, and Carole would have been just as gleeful. And if the Yorks hadn’t already been in long-term relationships, James would have thrown himself at their feet.

      • Becks1 says:

        I think Kate is the favorite because she landed the future future king and Carole LOVES all the privileges and perks that go along with that, but I feel like if she had her pick, she would probably hang out with Pippa or James over Kate.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I think George is Carole’s fav, the one that secured her ambitions. Kate is dispensible. Push comes to shove, Carole will pick William over Kate, George over Kate, George over William.

      • Nic919 says:

        George is the blood link to royalty for Carole and Kate was merely the vessel. But during the dating years, Carole made sure Kate had what she needed to hold onto William. The entire Middleton family participated in that venture, whether or not Pippa and James wanted otherwise.

    • teecee says:

      Entitled parents usually raise entitled children. Sure, there are some outliers, but usually that’s what happens. Harry is different because he had Diana in his life, even if only for a short time. These children have no one. They are likely lost.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Diana was massively entitled.

        William had Diana in his life as Harry did.

      • Tessa says:

        Diana was discarded more or less by Charles after the two children were born. She was there for appearances sake and the marriage was a sham. William did not treat Diana well all the time but to Diana the sun rose and set on those children.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Diana used their sons for PR constantly, far more than Charles did. It was Diana trotting them out for PR pics on their private time that (mostly) made both William and Harry hate pap intrusions in their private life.

      • Tessa says:

        Charles used his sons after Diana died for “great father” spin, with cameras on them, “see” Charles is demonstrative. Then less than a year later, he was using them to promote Camilla. The tragedy was that the couple were estranged early on when the children were very young, Charles and Diana had different ideas of “marriage” with Charles thinking she’d turn a blind eye toward him and Camilla and other women. Kate is towing the line, no matter what, she turns a blind eye but if the marriage founders she would have to just go along with it. I think her mother trained her that she should “put up” with whatever happens. And I agree with the earlier poster that Carole cares more about being a monarch’s grandmother than what happens to Kate in that marriage. Diana was seen screaming at photographers invading her sons’ space though she did set up photo ops with them as did their father. And a live microphone picked up Charles grousing about the media when he did a photo op with his sons. When they were together (playing happy families) they had selected photo ops like the one at Highgrove where the two children were playing the piano (or banging on the keys). As the marriage eroded, there was more friction with Diana apparently being upset over Tiggy putting down how Diana mothered her own children (and she said this to the media). I think perhaps the Queen should not have allowed the facade to continue, and called for a divorce. If they had been divorced earlier, then they could have shared custody with both having to cooperate regarding raising their children. I am wondering on the effect on the Cambridge children if things go bad and Kate has to turn a blind eye. It could be another Edward-Alexandra marriage which was not all that functional.

    • Carolind says:

      But George is different from the other two because he – if the present system stays and he stays alive – is the one who is going to be king. Charlotte and Louis are not going to become monarchs unless something goes badly wrong.

      It is much healthier if they make their separate ways in the world – as we all have to do – rather than being George clones.

    • Tessa says:

      And to add insult to injury, when George and his parents were there, the Kate stans called them William’s family, leaving out the other two.

  2. Talia says:

    I didn’t read this as ‘they will try not to treat Charlotte and Louis differently’, I read it that they are going to make sure Charlotte and Louis are *prepared* for being treated differently. I also notice the subtle slam at Harry for allegedly thinking he should be treated the same as the heir (I don’t think he did expect that – he just wasn’t prepared for how he and especially Meghan were treated) and the linking of Harry and Andrew (because leaving the way H&M did is *identical* to being involved in sexual abuse of trafficked minors /s)

    • Merricat says:

      I think Harry got sick of being the remedy every time something went wrong, and then not just being unappreciated for it, but mocked and forced to play scapegoat to “protect the throne.” He expected the same protection for his WIFE from the rota that his brother’s wife got, and he took his family and left when that didn’t happen.

    • North of Boston says:

      Yeah I noticed Anne and Edward were left off the spares list entirely.

      Interesting since Andrew is the non-FFK sibling who was most often used as a distraction from Charles’ dirt.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They are the extraneous younger siblings, not the spares.

        Charles, spare is Andrew
        William, spare is Harry
        George, spare is Charlotte

      • North of Boston says:

        Oh that’s right, how could I have forgotten about the sexism and misogyny baked into the BRF … in spite of it being helmed by a Queen for decades

      • Emmitt says:

        That’s because Andrew was the spare, not Anne or Edward.

        Anne was only the spare until Andrew was born. Then comes Edward, THEN comes Anne.

      • notasugarhere says:

        As Emmitt writes, the changes re. primogeniture hadn’t been made yet. And it isn’t only the BRF. There are other royal families where they haven’t changed the rules.

  3. lanne says:

    I love the way Omid trolls the royals. Private plane indeed. Radio silence from the ratchets. “But Harry and Meghan something something environment” scream the ratchets.

    Um, Earthshot? William? 5 part series? Environment?

    Racist hypocrite bastards.

    • Becks1 says:

      The rota must have been told not to use any pictures of them arriving at the airport. Omid doesn’t care though lol.

      • Jais says:

        I love that omid doesn’t care. Robert Lacey is interesting though because his book ended up being much more critical of William. You can tell William was shook by this “historian” because he immediately pulled him in to tell his side. Am curious if Lacey will continue to let William use him as his mouthpiece , is just biding his time, or really believes William’s narratives.

  4. Layla says:

    Is there something coming up? We’ve already had the keen anniversary week but is there another celebration? Or is this what’s to be expected the minute after Harry and Meghan shine like Supernovas. The keening’s started all over again. Le sigh

    • Pao says:

      Somebody on twitter who to my knowledge isn’t a royal watcher said that everytime harry and meghan get lots of attention its followed by exhausting pr from the Cambridges. I would say they are getting quite transparent and desperate

    • ecsMom says:

      I look forward to next summer when H & M are not on paternity leave and continue their work. I doubt they vacation for 2 months. Will the keens be paraded out all summer, will Kate have to forgo her summer refresh procedures? Will they be forced to be seen together all summer? That is if William’s head doesn’t explode by then.

  5. notasugarhere says:

    If they want to make their younger childrens lives easier, they should stop trotting them out for pap parades. Stop using those kids for PR.

    Odds are the two younger ones will not be working royals, Harry’s departure has paved the way for that. Start giving them privacy now, stop using their titles and HRH, etc. Prepare them for their future as non-working royals.

    • MF1 says:

      Yup, they should be kept out of the spotlight until they are adults and done with school. And since they’re not working royals (like H&M), there’s really no reason to use *any* of their titles, including George’s.

    • Nic919 says:

      What they should have done instead of changing the letters patent to add titles for babies was instead only have the HRH available to the direct heir once he or she turns 18. Or maybe even 21. There is zero need for George, Charlotte and Louis to have any titles at this point. And it would help with keeping their childhood more private.

      But W and K don’t care about that.

      • The Duchess says:

        W&K are title mad. No way would they have allowed their kids to have the same level footing as H&M’s children in terms of title/address. They’ve made their bed, now it’s time to have a lie down.

      • Becks1 says:

        Or they should have changed it so the oldest (and the heir) is HRH Prince/ss, and the others are Lord/Lady, and that’s the rule going forward, even when William is Duke of Cornwall. (that would have been how it happened under the old rules but the queen changed it bc the old rules meant that if a girl was born first ,she would have been the heir* but would have been Lady, and a younger brother would have been HRH prince, so they just made everyone HRH Prince/ss, which would be their titles when Charles became king anyway.) They should have set it so the oldest was HRH, regardless of sex, and the others were Lord/Lady with no HRH, again regardless of sex.

        (Also Nic I know you know the old rules, I ‘m just clarifying for those who might not.)

        *once they changed the rules of succession obviously.

  6. Pao says:

    He says that the keens are aware but not what they actually do to ensure that louis and Charlotte will find their own path

    • Over it says:

      That is because their path us directly behind George doing what he wants and falling on their swords to make him shine. Kate and william are just as abusive to the spares as the rest have been. Like Harry said in his series with ophrah, they need to break this generational trama. And I am with Kaiser. It’s time for them to close up shop. It’s the only way Charlotte and Louis and even George will have a normal shot at a decent life

  7. Katie says:

    Not even remotely the point but I enjoy how sometimes Prince Edward is just totally erased.

    • swirlmamad says:

      Perhaps this is Louis’ future? Charlotte gets the Harry treatment, and poor Lou gets ghosted. Lord help those children.

    • Eurydice says:

      I was just going to comment on this – plus, there’s also Anne.

      • Nic919 says:

        Anne’s treatment is interesting because while she was the closest in age to Charles, being a woman and lower ranked than ultimately Edward, she never seemed to be compared to Charles and was left to do her own thing.

        Charlotte won’t be as hidden away and as the next in line, it will be interesting to see if she gets the spare treatment over Louis. Plus the tabloids will add misogyny to the mix.

  8. Bettyrose says:

    Go to college and have careers little ones. Don’t spend your lives being the butt of jokes.

  9. Woke says:

    The only way is to prepare Charlotte and Louis to not be working royals and find a job but I doubt William want that. If William become king he will be a lonely one and he will want Georges to have what he thinks Harry denied him complete and blind loyalty.

    • Tessa says:

      And it would be just like William to try to break up George with a girlfriend, that he does not ‘approve of.’ Poor George.

  10. OriginalLala says:

    Prince Keenly Earthshot taking private planes/helicopters regularly is just the hypocrisy I love to see from Royals. #abolishthemonarchy

  11. Amy Bee says:

    This People Magazine piece is bogus because as Kaiser says George is already being separated from his siblings. If William and Kate were really seeking to bring up their children differently they would not have asked the Queen to give them titles, they would have waited for Charles to become King. They would not be pushing their children into the spotlight as has been happening with more frequency since Harry and Meghan left.

    • SnoodleDumpling says:

      I don’t think they were thinking about the future much when they made the decisions about the styles for the kiddos. I think they were only thinking about “if firstborn is girl, girl will be heir, heir will have lesser title than younger male sibling, UNACCEPTABLE! CHANGE! CHANGE NOW! HEIR MUST BE SUPREME!” in creepy Dalek voices.

  12. Restless Bitch Face says:

    I wonder what conversations at home are like with Charlotte and Louis, like when Char says she wants to be a doctor or a teacher and Louis says he wants to be an astronaut or a baker and the Keens are like, “no, actually you’re just here to make George look good, you’ll open community centers and just be very quiet and keen. George will be king and you will support him.” The though is just…gross and saddening. Or are they going to let the 2 spares dream of great adventures then break the news when they’re thinking about which university to attend. “Children, you will go to the school of Keen Subservience!” Ugh.

    • Sid says:

      It really underscores one of the many reasons why a monarchy in the year 2021 the way the BRF insists on running it is so problematic. You’re telling little kids that they are locked into their future occupation and have no choice in the matter. That is terrible.

    • Cathy says:

      With all due respect none of the kids ever say they want to be doctor. How many are doctors in royals and aristocracy?? These people are dumb and dumber with expensive school certificate. They go to these schools to network not to study. Also being doctor or astronaut are frown upon in their circle. Those jobs are conaider to beneath them.

    • RedWeatherTiger says:

      The astronaut comment reminds me of the Eddie Izzard bit, when a career person came to his school.

      Career person: what do you want to do? Tell me your dreams!
      Eddie: I want to be a space astronaut, go to outer space, discover things that have never been discovered!

      CP: look, you’re British, so scale it down a bit.
      Eddie: Okay, I want to work in a shoe shop.

      CP: look, you’re British, so scale it down a bit.
      Eddie: all right, I want to work in a sewer then!

  13. Lizzie says:

    Too bad Bill and Cathy couldn’t set a good example for their children, but maybe the kids will realize their parents are mean and jealous idiots.

    • Bluecat says:

      This is indeed my hope. Sometimes children are different from the parents, and maybe Charlotte and Louis will see who their parents really are and will follow their own path.

      I also hope that Charlotte and Louis get along well because they will need it. George will be king but as siblings, the younger can be united as they will be in a similar position as spares, while Harry was alone in that.

      • Tessa says:

        COnsidering her mother being promoted as more or less a mannequin doing really little of substance, will Charlotte be just consigned to be a clothes horse and Grandmother Carole finding her a “great match.” HOpefully Charlotte will get a good education and given the same opportunities her brothers have.

  14. OriginalLeigh says:

    Do as I say, not as I do…

  15. Maida says:

    Thing is, there’s really no way to buck the royal system from within. It’s why Harry finally felt he had to leave, and why Princess Margaret had such horrible struggles when she didn’t.

    Royalty does NOT make sense. Conferring a title and role on one child because of birth order into a particular family is some Bronze Age thinking. Attempting to help children navigate this cognitive dissonance in the 21st Century has to me a nightmare. I’m no fan of the Cambridges, but I feel for everyone who’s caught up in this machine.

    • notasugarhere says:

      There are other royal families out there who do this better, who could serve as models for the idiot Windsors. As Nic919 points out, they should have changed things so there were no titles awarded to any of Charles’s grandkids. Sort the situation out when the heir turns 18 or 21, if there is still a monarchy by then.

      • Maida says:

        That’s a good point, and it’s telling that the Cambridges went with their kids getting titles so young. But I think the BRF isn’t called “The Firm” for nothing — going against it is rough, as Harry and Meghan show. If you’ve been raised in it all your life, it’s got to be hard to avoid Stockholm Syndrome and the ideas of duty, tradition, etc.

        My major point is that the idea of “royalty” as families chosen by God to rule is not believed in by many people today. Many people like the pageantry and the celebrity aspects, but that’s quite different. And when it comes down to children being set aside for different roles, the ugly underbelly of the old feudal system is hard to ignore.

    • Nic919 says:

      The Cambridges specifically wanted all their children to have titles, hence why the letters patent were revised to give HRH to all of William’s kids. They could have decided to remove it for all of them until they were grandchildren of a monarch once Charles ascended. But William chose not to do that.

      So the Cambridges, especially William, are in fact to blame for perpetuating this nonsense.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They could have requested that none of their children be titled at birth, a bit like Edward and Sophie, and to wait until Charles was king. But as written, they are title mad and wanted all of their kids to be HRH and prince/princess from birth.

  16. lanne says:

    The only thing I see is a 4th generation of royal children pitted against each other. the Cambridges’s words are just lip service. They aren’t actually doing anything to ensure that Charlotte and Louis won’t be pitted against George. The temptation for William is too great. he benefitted from Harry getting thrown under the bus to protect him. He will expect the same for his own kids, and my guess is that he will actively participate in throwing Charlotte and Louis under the bus to protect George. And he will raise them to believe that this is the right and proper way to do things. After all, Harry betrayed him by NOT accepting his role as Spare Stooge. So William is going to make damn sure that his spares do as they are told, and Kate will turn away like the second parent of a child with a rabid, out of control Stage parent ,refusing to interfere in the crazy even when the child is desperately needing it.

    The die is already cast for the Cambridge children. Actions speak louder than words. From what we have seen, those two will trot those children out in front of the media to serve as human shields, whether it be for themselves or for George. Poor kids.

  17. Lorelei says:

    Oh, they have GOT to be kidding with this one.

    First of all, Harry is not a “blight” on his family (the whole family is a blight on humanity, and any blight on the family is Andrew ffs), and they’ve already fcked up their two younger children by what they did to him, instead of teaching the kids that the “spare/s” (god it’s so gross to refer to a person this way— a person is not a tire) is just as important as the oldest, because they’re all human beings, and their birth order does not make the younger ones second-class citizens.

    Yes, in this family the firstborn gets the “top” job (that no one even seems to want) but that doesn’t give the heir the right to treat his younger siblings like trash cans trailing behind him for decades, cleaning up his messes and doing the grunt work. It doesn’t need to wreak havoc on Charlotte’s and Louis’s lives and ruin their relationships with George.

    I often wondered, during the smear campaign, WTF was WRONG with W&K, how they didn’t realize (or care) that everything they did to Harry and Meghan was setting an example for their own kids. Children pay much more attention and pick up on tension a lot more than many people realize, so it’s safe to assume that George and Charlotte (and to a lesser extent, Louis, only b/c he’s younger), have overheard and seen a lot of what’s been happening over the past few years, and have absorbed it. So far, all they’ve learned is that it’s perfectly fine to be estranged from your sibling if you don’t approve of every single one of their life choices. They’ve probably overheard SO many of their father’s screaming tantrums, and picked up on how full of rage he always is.

    If W&K were genuine about wanting to help the “spares” avoid horrible future issues because of their statuses (they’re not genuine and we know it, because the Cambridges aren’t genuine about anything), they would have behaved like adults, set their own jealousy and envy of Harry and Meghan aside, and did what was best for their children, which is the exact opposite of what they did, so they’ve already failed. All three Cambridge kids will eventually learn how just how badly their parents treated H&M, and they set the worst example possible. Actions speak louder than words, and W&K’s actions have been very publicly selfish, petty, and cruel.

    LUCKILY for Charlotte and Louis, Harry and Meghan basically created a blueprint for how a “spare” can make their own way and live a happy and productive life.

    The Cambridges are going to try to poison H&M in their children’s minds; teach them that Harry wronged the family, Meghan was a poor fit for the BRF, and how horrible and disloyal Sussexit was, etc. Hopefully the Cambridge kids will be smart and curious (sadly not a trait they’ll inherit) enough to want to learn about their family’s history and why they don’t know their Uncle Harry and why they never see their cousins Archie and Lilibet.

    I sincerely hope they read enough about these years to see through their parents’ narrative and learn *exactly* how Harry was treated. Which won’t be fun for them to learn, because who wants to believe their parents are total assholes? But W&K created this situation.

    William and Kate COULD HAVE managed to maintain a relationship with the Sussexes— even if it was mostly just a working relationship, with the brothers not nearly as close as they once were (but that’s to be expected as they become adults and start their own families). At the very least, they could have made a conscious decision to set a good example for their own children, and *at the bare minimum* treated Harry and Meghan with respect and kindness, or even just plain decency! But they did not.

    So I REALLY REALLY don’t want to hear about how they’re now pivoting to this evolved mindset regarding how “spares” should be treated. I hope Charlotte and Louis are independent enough to follow in their Uncle Harry’s footsteps, but who knows.

    (Sorry this comment got so long! I just got so pissed about that headline and let loose, lol.)

  18. Same says:

    Surely they had to fly private , security , young children at home , Covid, entourage blah blah blah…

  19. AmelieOriginal says:

    I saw this article last night and was like… oh boy. The family is aware of just how dysfunctional the relationships tend to be between the heir and other siblings. It happened between Elizabeth and Margaret, Charles and his siblings (mostly with Andrew it seems? he seems to get on fine with Anne and Idk about Edward), and William and Harry. And sadly, I don’t see how else it can be different, at least for the UK royal family, I dunno about others. The heir will always be treated differently, that’s just the truth. And the spare siblings will always be treated differently as well because their destiny isn’t going to be the same. If they truly wanted to be a “normal” family and not impose this burden on their kids, they’d abolish the monarchy altogether. And I do think that might happen before George ever becomes king.

  20. Margaret says:

    I don’t want to hear helicopter will, or charlie preach on the environment, and not be judged by the same standards as used against the Sussexes. Give the 2 year count on their use of jets and helicopters.

  21. SarahCS says:

    “after their private jet hit the tarmac”. I’m DYING.

    I wonder who owns it…

  22. Izzy says:

    They’re showing the kids how to avoid this dynamic by… *checks notes* showing them all how to be equally lazy and inept. I guess?

  23. Consie Wright says:

    I’m predicting we will have Queen Charlotte because George will take a pass. IMO something has that child troubled internally: sad, bewildering eyes give it away.

  24. Cathy says:

    Oh god, not this again. Cambridges pr is overdrive these days. The only one who throw away heir and spare is diana , she always says my boys and palace were shook that diana treat her own sons as equal. This time the courtiers make sure it wont happen with cambriges . We already saw how the kids are treated. Charoltte barely got any attention from her parents. Those kids are set up for disaster. These kids behave exactly like Charles and his siblings dynamic.

    George is shy like Charles desperate for mommy attention ( in recent grocery pap photo he reach for kate hand , she didnt bother)
    William yank george from her whenever he is around.

    Charlotte is like anne , rude boss like her father said. Both the parents barely pay attention to her . (Again in recent grocery pap photo , she was left behind kate was walking 5 feet ahead. If Meghan did that press will RIP her apart , kate didnt even look back if she is coming )

    Louis is her andrew , mommy favorite , born because of dad cheating but that doesnt stop dad from cheating. Already heir george is jealous of him ( like William and charles ) because mommy give attention to him.

    Having more than two children is always receipe for disaster one kid will left alone without any attention from parents.

    I wont feel sorry for any person marry into that family especially cambriges future partners. After all the crap they pulled , anyone willingly marry into that family doesnt deserve sympathy.

    • Tessa says:

      william in that PR photo with the Commercial jet took George’s hand and led him leaving Charlotte to run to catch up with them. That was very telling. A man sensitive to his childrens’ feelings would not have allowed George to be the only one to get a present when Attenborough visited.

      • Nic919 says:

        Or how Charlotte wasn’t covered by the umbrella but George was when they went to deliver food aka dry pasta.

  25. souperkay says:

    This is not something that can be fixed in a way that will make sense to a child to prevent harm. The belief that George was ordained by God to solely rule a country with 67 million people in it is bananas, as is the idea that Charlotte and Louis are only ordained by God to rule if George dies before he has children. There’s no fairness or equity there.

  26. Bluecat says:

    Well, I hope there’s no throne for them in the future so they won’t need to worry about it. Unless the children turn the antithesis of their parents -it can happen l even though unlikely – they will be a hot mess.

  27. Harper says:

    But what happens when one of the siblings becomes a bully and threatens to “pull a Harry” to get what they want? Burger King has only one way of dealing with his family–threats and incandescant rage and going to the tabs to humiliate them. Are we really going to believe that he’s going to get it right with his kids? I do not think so.

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