The world is still in the swing of welcoming the newest royal baby, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, and already royal enthusiasts are dubbing her the ‘Spare to the Heir’. Whilst it is true that the little Princess will likely not usurp her elder brother for the throne, and will remain a Princess (and later, a Duchess) for the rest of her life, those well-read in British history are starting to wonder if the new Princess will exhibit any of the behaviours associated with being the Spare to the Heir.
The ‘Spares’, exempt from the pressure of ruling but not from royal life itself, usually lead a more laid-back life. In the past, ‘Spares’ were as important as the ‘Heirs’ as deadly diseases and war were rife, but as of late, ‘Spares’ have enjoyed a more quiet life. Royal but not as responsible.
In celebration of Princess Charlotte, we take a look back at our favourite ‘Spares’.
Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte is the latest ‘Spare to the Heir’, and is likely to stay that way. After being born after her older brother, Prince George, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will likely never be anything but a Princess, and because of this, is more likely to exhibit ‘second child symptoms’. However, it is a bit early to be predicting wild behaviour from the two-day old Princess, the only ‘wild child’ conduct the tiny royal is guilty of is keeping her parents up all night.
Prince Harry
Perhaps the most notorious of the Spares, Prince Harry has never been preoccupied with acting properly. Although he has calmed down in recent years and has enjoyed a successful military career, Prince Harry gained notoriety for wearing Nazi uniforms, playing pool naked, smoking cannabis and leaving a string of skinny blondes in his wake. A far cry from big brother, William, who will one day be King.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie and her older sister were never very far up the succession, but that didn’t stop her from following the ‘second wild child’ path. Eugenie worked in media and lives in New York City. She is often seen in hoodies and sneakers and attending music festivals, unlike her sister, Princess Beatrice.
Princess Anne
Queen Elizabeth’s second child, Anne, Princess Royal, is considered the ‘second child’ but not the ‘heir to the spare’. When Anne was born, primogeniture was still in place, meaning that, as a Princess, Anne couldn’t inherit anything anyway. But that didn’t stop her from exhibiting the ‘second child’ symptoms, including marrying outside the royal guidelines (twice) and naming her children ‘Zara’ and ‘Peter’.
Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, however, could be considered the Spare. As he came before his older sister in the line of succession, he wasn’t technically the ‘second child’ but he had enough of the characteristics to be considered one. Prince Andrew’s life has been dogged with scandal including marrying the ‘uncouth’ Sarah Ferguson, dating a soft-porn model and being accused of keeping a sex slave. Prince Andrew has been called, among other things, ‘Randy Andy’ and ‘Air-miles Andy’.
Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret was born the younger sister to our current Queen, Elizabeth II, and wasn’t known for being a straight shooting, proper Princess. Margaret’s first love was divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend, but her marriage plans were blocked by her sister and the Church of England, she then married Antony Armstrong-Jones and had two children, David and Lady Sarah.
Prince Albert/King George VI
King George VI might be one of the most famous ‘Spares to the Heir’, because he didn’t remain a spare. In fact, Prince Albert (as he was known before his accession) was really more of a first child, as he was studious and conscientious. It was his brother, King Edward VIII, who was more of a wild child. The young King abdicated his throne after being on it for just a year, in order to marry divorced American socialite, Wallis Simpson.
Henry VIII
One of the most notorious Kings in history, King Henry VIII, of six wife fame, was born a spare. His elder brother, Prince Arthur, was in line for the throne when he died mysteriously from an unknown cause. Henry succeeded his brother and became one of the most famous (and naughtiest) Kings in history. His ‘second child’ behaviour includes spending his kingdom into debt, and… er… executing two of his wives.
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