If Prince George Becomes King: What Happens to Charlotte and Louis?

Looking ahead to the future of the British monarchy, the younger children—Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—are coming more into the spotlight. While Prince George, as the eldest son, is destined to wear the crown one day, his siblings are already facing the question of their roles within the family.

Especially in light of the tensions between William and Prince Harry, it becomes clear just how sensitive the role of the so-called “spare children” in the royal family can be. As parents, Prince William and Princess Kate face not only personal challenges but also institutional ones.

Royal author Simon Vigar believes it is crucial that Charlotte and Louis not simply follow in their brother’s footsteps later on, but be able to lead independent lives at the same time. “There must be a way that Charlotte and Louis can support their brother in the decades to come and still have their own lives,” Simon Vigar said, according to Hello!

In doing so, he touches on a debate that has been ongoing within the British royal family for years. After all, striking a balance between duty, public role, and personal freedom remains particularly difficult, especially for the younger siblings of the heir to the throne.

Prince Harry demonstrated just how burdensome this dynamic can be through his public statements and his 2023 memoir, 'Spare'. In it, he made clear how deeply his position as the second son had shaped him. “I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.,” said Prince Harry.

The term “spare” has a long history in the royal family. According to Hello!, even at the time of Harry’s birth, King Charles is said to have told Princess Diana that he now had “an heir and a spare.”

As soon as Prince William becomes king, his eldest son, George, will automatically become the direct heir to the throne. This will also change the status of Charlotte and Louis within the Royal Family. They will then be even further removed from the actual line of succession and will have to redefine their position.

Simon Vigar is convinced that this is precisely where the parents' greatest challenge lies. Accordingly, Charlotte and Louis should not be forced into a rigid mold, but rather find roles that meet the needs of both the House of Windsor and their own.

According to Simon Vigar, Prince William, as the future king, might break new ground anyway. The author points out that William has repeatedly signaled a desire for change, particularly in his approach to the institution and to future generations. This could also include giving younger royals more freedom than in the past.

This would be of great significance to Charlotte and Louis. Their future seems far from set in stone. Precisely for this reason, the question of how they will support George later on is likely already playing an important role within the family.