Growing up as the younger sibling of the future king of England can’t always be easy, but Prince Williamand Kate Middleton are reportedly putting in the work to make sure that daughter Princess Charlotte, 10, isn’t left behind.
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Prince Harry talked about being the “spare” to the “heir” to the throne and how difficult it was to grow up in big brother William’s shadow. According to what royal insiders have told PEOPLE, Will and Kate are taking precautions to make sure Charlotte never feels that way as the next in line behind her big brother Prince George, 11.
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Author Robert Hardman told the magazine that it was Queen Elizabeth who really instilled how important this is into her family — and that was why she had such a “soft spot” for her younger grandson Harry.
“She understood being second place in a strictly hierarchical family and institution has its challenges,” Hardman said. “Everyone is conscious of that.”
As William prepares to take the throne himself, Hardman says that he’s working hard to “make the whole royal existence approachable and not scary for all his children.” A royal source added that he and Kate are trying to teach Charlotte to “strike a balance between private life and duty.”
And as PEOPLE pointed out, though it’s true that Charlotte is right behind George in line for the throne, she may be given the special title of Princess Royal, like Princess Anne, which would also set her apart — if she chose to accept the title, of course.
For now, it seems like she and her siblings are enjoying as normal a childhood as their parents can give them. What else could be more important right now?
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