Prince William & Kate Middleton Might Take a Page From Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Playbook

Even though Prince William and Kate Middleton’s feud with Prince Harry continues, it appears that they agree with him when it comes to the “spare” moniker. The dynamic duo reportedly wants to change the size of the royal family (yet again) once they take the throne, which means that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis might be free to pursue their own careers in the future.

“The working assumption is that the younger two children will get on and do their own thing. They will be encouraged to not become working royals,” a source told The Daily Beast. While that sounds like a solid plan, especially since the Duke of Sussex seems very happy in his post-royal life despite a few growing pains, there are some concerns about the shrinking size of the monarchy. “When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won’t be inviting anyone else to become working royals. It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals,” a pal of the Prince of Wales told the Daily Mail.

“That is what William wants,” the insider added. “He sees the small European monarchies as the model for the future.” While that doesn’t leave “an option” for Prince George, his younger siblings will continue to be “kept at arm’s length from royal life,” per The Daily Beast. “They are exposed to the minimum possible publicity, and that is a deliberate strategy to let Charlotte and Louis choose their own destiny,” the palace source said. William may not be chummy with this younger brother anymore, but he and Kate reportedly “want to find a practical solution to the ‘spare’ problem that has bedeviled the family for generations.”

If Charlotte and Louis only attend major royal events, that does put more pressure on George, who is only 10, and has no choice but to fulfill his destiny. It might be something he wants to pursue, but what if he chooses not to ascend to the throne? Abdication isn’t a common option in the British royal family, but if George chose to pursue another line of work, the job would fall upon Charlotte’s shoulders. After seeing her royal protocol at Trooping of the Colour on Saturday, June 15, we know she would be up for the job.

For now, the job will be Prince George’s to take, or leave, while Charlotte and Louis get to explore their passions. We bet their Uncle Harry will have some sound advice for them as they get older because it can be tricky navigating that “spare” label.