Nothing says a burden like being a monarch. Over the years, we’ve seen the hardships of what Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has gone through. Her second-youngest grandson, Prince Harry, has run to California with his power-hungry, fame-seeking, narc of a wife, Meghan Markle. Middle son, Prince Andrew, has gotten himself caught up in a sex scandal. The love of the Queen’s life, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died at 99 amid the drama surrounding their wayward son and grandson. However, what is it like to be the spare heir?
There is more to royal life than crowns, tiaras, tailored suits and glittering ball gowns. Responsibility to one’s country and the realms in which the nation are allies is what is important. Though, some who carry the burden of being the spare heir tend to think they’ve got more importance than their sibling who sits above them.
In this post, we’re going to be examining the lives of King George VI, Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Princess Charlotte and their experiences with being the spare heir to their older siblings.
King George VI
The Queen’s father, King George VI, was never supposed to be the monarch. His older brother was Edward, Prince of Wales, who’d later become Edward VIII. However, before Edward VIII could be coronated, he abdicated the throne, so he could marry Wallis Simpson.
The Duke of York, affectionately known as Bertie, became King George VI on December 1936. The relationship between the royal family and Edward VIII fractured. The former king became the Duke of Windsor.
King George VI might’ve been a spare heir, but at least he got to sit on the throne. He had poor health due to heavy smoking, which resulted in an early death at just 56.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Bertie’s widow, blamed Edward for her husband’s early death and ultimately held an alleged grudge against him. If it had not been for his abdication, King George VI would’ve lived longer than he did.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
As the Queen’s younger sister, Princess Margaret was dubbed a royal rebel from a young age. While her sister didn’t always agree with her behaviour, the two were always close, despite how different they were. Rachel Burchfield of Vogue spoke to Andrew Morton regarding his memoir on The Queen and Princess Margaret.
Morton said before the abdication of their uncle in 1936, the sisters dressed the same and were portrayed as twins, despite the four year age gap. It is his view that this came about because of how unlikely it would be for their father to become king.
Once their father had become king, they were seen as different, given their positions. Elizabeth was now the heir while Margaret ultimately become the spare heir.
What’s more, is that Princess Margaret was very fond of Prince Charles. Later in life, she was referred to by William and Harry as “Great Aunt Margot” when they were young.
Margaret was a heavy smoker, like her father, and suffered deteriorating health in the last twenty years of her life. She suffered four strokes, suffered a mental health crisis and various other ailments. Her personal life was also a web of speculation. Some even say she was a snob and looked down on those with a style lower than “royal highness”.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
As the Queen and Prince Philip’s second son and third child, there was no chance of Prince Andrew ever being king. However, this is not how he saw it. Unlike his great-niece Princess Charlotte, his older sister, Princess Anne sits behind Prince Edward in the line of succession.
It is believed that Andrew had to beg his mother for his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, to be labelled Princesses as they almost did not get titles. It has been rumoured that he attempted to push himself to higher status by requesting that he become his nephew, Prince William’s regent after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, given the negativity towards Charles.
Going back to the titles for Beatrice and Eugenie, it is unclear if Andrew did have to beg because they were grandchildren of the monarch, meaning they were entitled to be Princesses. However, they were not in direct line to the throne like William and Harry were.
The reason why the York sisters almost didn’t get titles was that their Uncle Charles wanted a slimmed-down monarchy. This meant only those in the direct line of succession would get titles. Ultimately, this comes from Naomi Adedokun of the Express, who received the information from Marlene Koenig, a royal commentator.
Andrew, also being the Queen’s alleged favourite child, believes he can get away with anything. That is why he is hiding behind his mother’s skirt and denying that he abused Virginia Roberts.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Born the second son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Prince Harry was just as beloved as his older brother, Prince William in the eyes of their mother. However, Diana’s death in 1997 changed the trajectory of his life. He would become paranoid, which would often drive his girlfriends away.
Harry was often the life of the party, and he got caught up in situations that were reputation ruining but were covered up and excused as a boy still grieving his mother. In 2016, he met Meghan Markle, an American actress who appeared on Suits, a legal drama filmed in Toronto, Canada. By November 2017, the pair were engaged, and in May 20218, they married in Windsor and became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
By the time 2018 was over, Meghan was pregnant with their first child, a son, they’d name Archie. However, behind closed doors, the Sussexes were causing difficulties for the rest of the family with the Duchess of Sussex being accused of bullying her staff and that of her in-laws. There was even speculation of her bullying niece Princess Charlotte during a bridesmaid dress fitting.
By the time Archie was only a few months old, the Sussexes departed the UK. They headed to Canada for what they dubbed a six-week break. However, it wasn’t. It was part of their escape plan to leave the royal family and to do their own thing.
These actions show Harry choosing his wife over the people who have done nothing but support him his whole life. He chose to believe they were racist towards her when that could not be further from the truth.
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
The only daughter of Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte might not realise it yet, but she is a spare heir. However, the difference is, she is being treated like her older brother, Prince George.
As the middle child of three with a younger brother, Prince Louis, Charlotte, her parents are showing her that she is no different to George or Louis. She is also the first female heir in the top six in the line of succession to not be pushed down the line of succession due to gender.
