Prince Harry was done being just a spare to his older brother, Prince William, who is the future king. He reportedly felt he would not have a valuable role in the United Kingdom.
Prince Harry Allegedly Suffers From The 'Heir And Spare' Issue In The Royal Family
Royal author Ian Lloyd weighed in on Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship. For him, the Duke of Sussex no longer wanted to be just a spare to the future heir, his older brother.
They grew up with full knowledge that Prince William would be the king after their father, Prince Charles. However, Prince Harry's future has been uncertain as he lives in the shadow of his brother.
While the concept of "heir and spare" is not an issue when they are younger, it becomes apparent when they grow older and start to build their own family.
"The problem with being the second is that you grow up with your sibling and you are equal - Diana treated Harry and William as equals, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth treated Elizabeth and Margaret like equals when they were children," Lloyd told Express.co.uk (via The News). "But then what happens is that when the older one becomes sovereign or the heir it feels the second sibling more or less disappears."
The Duke author noted how Princess Margaret was second in line to the throne from 1936 to 1948. If Queen Elizabeth were killed in World War 2, Princess Margaret could become the Queen. However, if she lived up to now, she would be in the 26th line of succession to the throne.
"In other words, she just disappeared off the radars with the passing of the years," the royal expert added. "And I think that's what Harry finds difficult."
Prince Harry Has No 'Obvious Role' And Would Never Shine In Prince William's Shadow
Aside from slipping further and further away from the throne as Prince William and Kate Middleton's family expand, there is no definite role for Prince Harry.
"There is no obvious role and I think Meghan thought she could come in and make a role and sort of take on the Royal Family but the Palace and the organisation won't do that," Lloyd continued. "They only ever support the heir and spare, so Meghan and Harry would never shine in this country."
Another royal author, Tina Brown, will probably agree with Lloyd. Brown spoke with Marie Claire in April when she promoted her new book The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor—The Truth and the Turmoil.
Brown said Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship was "tricky," and they somewhat became "rivalrous." The royal sibling reportedly had similar interests. Both are into environmentalism, conservation, and Africa. However, Prince William is always favored because he is the future king.
"It began to feel like, 'Why is William getting all of these great portfolios and I have to sort of wait and take his second dibs?'" Brown said about the two princes. "Well, the answer is because you’re the second in line. William was always going to be able to choose what he wants to do. So that was always going to be a bit tricky."
Do you agree that Prince Harry left the royals because he didn't want to be just a spare any more?
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