Prince William is reportedly determined to change one long-standing tradition within the British royal family, particularly the idea of the “heir and spare” that has historically shaped the lives of royal siblings.
According to royal author Russell Myers, the future king has never been comfortable with the concept and believes it created an unhealthy dynamic during his own childhood with his younger brother, Prince Harry. Myers explores the topic in his book William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story.
For generations, the royal family has informally referred to the eldest child as the “heir” the one destined to inherit the throne while the next in line is often called the “spare,” someone whose role is seen as secondary within the monarchy. The practice has long influenced expectations placed on royal children and shaped their futures.
Myers says Prince William has always questioned that distinction and has no intention of repeating the same pattern with his own children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“The issue of treating the ‘heir and spare’ as completely separate entities is something William has always wanted to change,” he writes. “It’s not how he and Catherine have brought up their own children and William saw fundamental problems with the different treatment he was given as a child to his brother. In his view, it wasn’t healthy.”
William, who is first in line to the British throne, grew up under intense scrutiny and expectation as the future monarch. At the same time, Prince Harry often spoke publicly about feeling like the secondary royal sibling, a role that came with fewer responsibilities but also less clarity about his place within the institution.
The author suggests that William’s childhood experiences shaped his thinking about how royal life should evolve for the next generation. Rather than emphasizing hierarchy among siblings, he and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are believed to be focused on creating a more balanced family environment.
“Myers added: ‘Of course, George, as a future King, will inevitably have a different role to fulfill than his siblings, but that doesn’t mean the family dynamic should reflect that,” the author says. Prince George, the eldest of William and Catherine’s three children, is second in line to the throne after his father. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis follow him in the line of succession.
Despite those future responsibilities, William reportedly wants the children to grow up with a sense of normalcy and equality within the family. Myers also notes that tensions between William and Harry did not begin with Meghan Markle’s arrival, as some have speculated.
According to the author, the brothers’ “issues go way back before Meghan was introduced to the fold,” suggesting that deeper differences rooted in their upbringing may have contributed to the challenges in their relationship.
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