Page 2 | Heir and Spare

Nard75 · 2022-09-19T08:56:31+00:00

Looking to the future and all the problems that have happened with Harry being the spare and being treated differently to his older brother. How do you think William will handle this with his 2 children seeing as he has spare X2. I feel William has been unsympathetic towards the position that Harry has been in so how will he feel when it is his 2 children are going through the same thing that their Uncle did.

Original poster

Nard75 · 19/09/2022 14:41

NC12345665 · 19/09/2022 14:24

I feel William has been unsympathetic towards the position that Harry has been in

Fgs. Pray tell, what should William have done?

Maybe not have sat back and let his brother be the fall guy for all his mistakes. Time will only tell how he deals with the situation when it is happening to his own children. Maybe then he will realise what his brother went through.

Another example of this is when it was reported that Megan made Kate cry and the outrage of what she had done. As soon as Megan put her side of the story then all the wolves came out defending Kate.

BTW I am not a fan of Megan but can see the unfairness of the situation and if Harry has been treated as a spare by all his family all his life (apart from by his mother) then there is only so much a person can take before breaking.

OP posts:

KangarooKenny · 19/09/2022 14:53

I’m no fan of Harry, but to be called a spare is disgusting.

deedledeedledum · 19/09/2022 15:02

Floralei · 19/09/2022 14:29

Hopefully Charlotte and Louis can graduate away and marry happily and either find a passion in life that can become a profession (racing? Breeding horses? Art?) or live off private investments / a gifted estate. Louis’s children should not be princes or HRH and hers won’t be anyway. They can be royals, not Royals and live happily ever after, supporting their grandfather, father and brother in private.

Good good. Your career aspirations for them are pretty lame. How about human rights lawyer, chef technologist or getting a phd in astrophysics? Breeding horses...art. Pffft

Yellowjacketforwinter · 19/09/2022 15:07

The Queen's own Father was the "spare", he then became King and the rest is history.

MaulPerton · 19/09/2022 15:14

Motnight · 19/09/2022 14:18

Do you think that is at least partly because the rules when she was younger meant that she was never going to be queen?

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There isn't a 'spare goes off the rails' obligation built into the monarchical system. I expect that Anne decided that she was better off in than out and acted accordingly.

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/09/2022 15:41

PuttingDownRoots · 19/09/2022 11:53

Shes 7... of course she goes to less stuff. If they were 14&15 you would have a point there.

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Agreed. Much was made of her not going to the football recently. My dd wouldn’t have wanted to go age 7… and perhaps she isn’t interested atm. Just 2 years makes a heck of a difference with George at age 9. My dd is a teen and loves going to sports fixtures now.

itsgettingweird · 19/09/2022 15:47

Agree stolen. I wrote something similar on another thread the other day.

People get really angry at Harry but he can't win.

He left the RF. yet people say he's remaining public.

He can hardly disappear into the ethers and get a job in McDonald's!

He was great in the military but had to really push to be allowed to be an equal member.

He's been raised royal and with the wealth that brings. He doesn't know anything else but he does know being the "spare" isn't the life he wants.

GreenLunchBox · 19/09/2022 15:49

deedledeedledum · 19/09/2022 15:02

Good good. Your career aspirations for them are pretty lame. How about human rights lawyer, chef technologist or getting a phd in astrophysics? Breeding horses...art. Pffft

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They don't tend to be geniuses

ItsJustLittleOlMe · 19/09/2022 15:52

I really feel for William. I reckon his brother was often his only trusty confidante, the person who he could discuss anything with, someone who would understand exactly what he was going through, as he was going through it himself. And someone who he thought would keep his confidences. In William's position, there probably aren't many people who you can talk freely to about stuff. Then Harry turned around and sold that trust to the highest bidder.

Samcro · 19/09/2022 15:54

ItsJustLittleOlMe · 19/09/2022 15:52

I really feel for William. I reckon his brother was often his only trusty confidante, the person who he could discuss anything with, someone who would understand exactly what he was going through, as he was going through it himself. And someone who he thought would keep his confidences. In William's position, there probably aren't many people who you can talk freely to about stuff. Then Harry turned around and sold that trust to the highest bidder.

it works both ways though. maybe H was not happy for himself and his wife to be thrown under the bus by his brother.

Salacia · 19/09/2022 16:29

StolenWillowTree · 19/09/2022 11:24

The heir and spare cycle is really toxic and we've seen the same patterns play out over three generations now going into a fourth.

In every generation, the heir is the important one and the spare exists to protect the heir. In every generation the spare is given a negative or scandalous media persona so the heir can be portrayed as whiter than white (and every generation, the public genuinely believe these media personas are real and an accurate reflection of the real people!). In every generation the Palace allows or even encourages the press to print bad stories about the spare while trying to censor anything bad about the heir. In every generation the heir has a sacred purpose while the spare drifts purposelessly. In every generation there is discord between the heir and spare.

Princess Margaret had a wild child persona pushed on her by the press since she was young. She couldn't marry the man she loved, wound up going through a divorce, life beset with scandal, never really accomplished anything, and ended up an alcoholic and seemed bitter.

Andrew's life has been beset with scandal, money woes and failed business ventures, and now he's widely regarded as a rapist. Edward struggled and had scandals for years, failed military career, failed theatre career, failed TV career, filming William at university scandal, Sophie fake sheik scandal, personal life rumours before ultimately settling for a life of dutiful royal engagements that avoids scandal by being too dull for anyone to take interest. Anne's the only one who escaped the curse of the spare and the only one who actually accomplished something (her horse riding career) for herself.

Harry everyone knows about.

You can already see how it's beginning with a fourth generation. The Cambridges are still young children yet the media are already creating personas for them, and the family trot them out whenever they need a PR boost or are fighting some scandal. The tabloids always portray George as preternaturally mature, serious and well-behaved, while Charlotte and Louis are portrayed as the naughty ones (often with euphemisms like rambunctious, mischievous, energetic, over-tired, through earlier this year a tabloid literally printed ie made up a story with the headline "Charlotte is the naughtiest of all the Cambridge children"). Any time the younger two don't act like perfect robo-children the press jump on the chance to write lots of articles about how naughty they are, that doesn't happen with George. A reporter was even asked to delete footage and not report on George saying he wanted Djokovic to win. What will happen when Charlotte and Louis are teens and start dating and going out? When they have to start choosing their careers and life paths? When the Palace start leaking scandals about Charlotte to protect George? When Louis has to decide between supporting his brother or following whatever his career passion is?

They need to find a way to stop that and protect the spares and not have so much divide. Harry talked about needing to break the cycle and got mocked. In 20 years will Charlotte and Louis be working privately towards meaningful careers and lives, or will they be the new tabloid whipping boys?

This is such a well written post.

I’m a relatively apathetic republican (e.g. I wouldn’t actively campaign against them and it’s the concept of a hereditary monarchy I take issue with rather than them as people) so no skin off my nose but it baffles me that their supporters are so desperate to keep them in such a restrictive and damaging position. They’re people at the end of the day and treating them as a national soap opera is always going to take a heavy psychological toll. Especially as George, Charlotte etc are going to have it even worse due to social media etc.

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 19/09/2022 17:09

I think W&K will treat it like a 'family business'. They will each have roles. If they want them of course. If not, I'm sure Grandpa/ Uncle Middleton will give them a place in the other family business. I doubt they will be allowed to grow up as spoiled as Harry either.

activediscussions · 19/09/2022 17:17

people saying william had an affair are mental. you don't think pippa would have named her daughter the same name if william had had an affair. most stupid posts.

CherieBabySpliffUp · 19/09/2022 17:32

activediscussions · 19/09/2022 17:17

people saying william had an affair are mental. you don't think pippa would have named her daughter the same name if william had had an affair. most stupid posts.

You do realise that there has been more than one person that William could have cheated with

RandomPenguinHouse · 19/09/2022 17:41

CherieBabySpliffUp · 19/09/2022 17:32

You do realise that there has been more than one person that William could have cheated with

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That’s why Pippa’s baby has several middle names.

MattDamon · 19/09/2022 17:46

Zara and Peter have said they were always told they would have to work for a living. Hopefully Will and Catherine are telling the younger two the same.

My guess is that it won't be much more than a ceremonial position trotted out a few times a year by the time George gets there anyway.

eddiemairswife · 19/09/2022 17:51

George 6th turned out to be a pretty good spare. I was not aware he'd had a mistress.

itsgettingweird · 19/09/2022 17:51

activediscussions · 19/09/2022 17:17

people saying william had an affair are mental. you don't think pippa would have named her daughter the same name if william had had an affair. most stupid posts.

Well they don't have to believe it do they?

I have no idea if he did or not. But the whole name thing doesn't prove it either way imo

JudgeRindersMinder · 19/09/2022 17:55

I’ve often thought that one of the reasons W&K had a 3rd child was so that when G becomes more involved in his life of duty, they have each other. Possibly very simplistic thinking but 🤷🏼‍♀️

ajandjjmum · 19/09/2022 18:04

roses2 · 19/09/2022 11:49

I was thinking the same today when I saw the two kids at the funeral on tv. Charlotte is already treated as a spare, not going to all events etc. I wonder how they handle this to make sure she feels ok.

They took her alone to the Commonwealth Games. I would imagine Kate and William have learned a lot from previous generations, and coming from a stable family with three children, Kate seems like a great Mum who will be able to call upon her own family experience.

ajandjjmum · 19/09/2022 18:06

MsMiaWallace · 19/09/2022 14:19

So we really think William had an affair?

No.

starrynight21 · 19/09/2022 18:07

I can't help feeling that Harry has gone from being the "spare son" to being the "spare husband". He appears to be playing second fiddle to a wife who is calling all the shots . Seeing him popping in during her podcast , it seems really sad to me. He looks so sad /angry all the time, I wouldn't be surprised to read in the future that he was suffering from depression .

ajandjjmum · 19/09/2022 18:10

ItsJustLittleOlMe · 19/09/2022 15:52

I really feel for William. I reckon his brother was often his only trusty confidante, the person who he could discuss anything with, someone who would understand exactly what he was going through, as he was going through it himself. And someone who he thought would keep his confidences. In William's position, there probably aren't many people who you can talk freely to about stuff. Then Harry turned around and sold that trust to the highest bidder.

I agree with you. Particularly as it is well known that Diana confided in William - probably more than she should have done. I wonder how much of this he shared with Harry as they grew older - and how much will appear in the memoir. I can understand William and Kate keeping their distance until it's published - and maybe beyond.

TrashyPanda · 19/09/2022 18:13

Yellowjacketforwinter · 19/09/2022 15:07

The Queen's own Father was the "spare", he then became King and the rest is history.

Yes, and King George VIs father, George V, was also “the spare”.
he didn’t just inherit his late brothers place in the succession, he also inherited Prince Albert Victor ,Duke of Clarence’s fiancée (who would become Queen Mary)

DocD · 19/09/2022 18:19

DP is a TV presenter. His employer (think one of big two stations today) sent an email out saying what bits of coverage can’t be used in repeats (Palace PR got this out before end of the service)
included were -
Wessexes using hanky
Zara being upset
Beatrice and Eugenie leaving early
AND
Prince George picking nose!!! So a very normal child then, but not allowed to be seen to be one