According to one expert, the Duke of Sussex had a much more significant position within the Firm than the King, which he claimed was responsible for.
Prince Harry has long claimed that he has lived his entire life in the shadow of Prince William as the ‘spare’, even using it as the title for his tell-all autobiography. According to the Duke of Sussex, his role as the second born son to the King was to be a back-up monarch in the event his older brother was not able to fulfil his role as the future King.
However, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that Prince Harry had a more important position to play within the royal family at large: one that he could’ve learned from his aunt, Princess Anne. The King’s sister, who was also dubbed the ‘spare’ as the second sibling to Charles, has led a life devoted to the Firm, often referred to as the “hardest working royal”.
As Harry wrote in his memoir, it was his father King Charles who first used the harsh nickname of ‘spare’ to refer to his youngest son, in reaction to Princess Diana giving birth to a second boy. Harry said his dad’s words were: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done.”
Prince Harry should have consulted with the Princess Royal about how to support the royal family throughout his life, according to Jennie Bond, rather than focusing on his unofficial title of “pare.”
Bond told the Mirror : “She could have told her nephew that ‘playing second fiddle’ is the wrong way to look at his status. Instead, as she has shown, the second born can be an invaluable support to the institution of monarchy, and a vital friend, confidant and wingman/woman to the monarch.
She could have said that they are a team, a company, working together to maintain the monarchy’s relevance and to support charities and local communities.
The Duke can’t wait for his aunt to help them reach a peaceful resolution, according to the royal expert, who also believes that Prince Harry could use his relationship with Princess Anne to mend the royal rift with his father before it is too late.
Yes, Anne would have been the ideal person to offer advice and guidance, but sadly Harry has made it abundantly clear that he has no desire to live as a working royal.
The former BBC royal correspondent also questioned whether Princess Anne was aware of the extent of the family rift and whether she would not want to participate in revisiting the Harry and Charles drama.
She said, “I’m not sure if the King and Anne would want to get involved, though it might be that the King has had a conversation about his family issues.” Loyalty is important to Anne, and I suspect she understands why Harry has treated his father, his brother, and the monarchy poorly. That might be difficult for her to forgive.
