{"id":400620,"date":"2026-01-31T13:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/400620\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T13:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:06:12","slug":"princess-charlotte-facing-difficulty-over-prince-harry-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/400620\/","title":{"rendered":"Princess Charlotte facing \u2018difficulty over Prince Harry problem\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As the second child of Kate Middleton and Prince William, a royal expert says the young Princess could have a &#8216;very difficult&#8217; period ahead of her as establishes her role<\/p>\n<p>Anna Pointer and Mitya Underwood Senior Celebrity &amp; Royal Writer<\/p>\n<p>08:00, 31 Jan 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Princess Charlotte\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_The-Championships-Wimbledon-2025.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"The young Princess Charlotte has already become a firm fixture at formal royal events\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">The young Princess Charlotte has already become a firm fixture at formal royal events(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Royal experts say that Princess Charlotte may face a &#8220;very difficult&#8221; period ahead as she navigates the same constitutional trap that famously affected <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prince-harry\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Prince Harry<\/a> and Princess Margaret.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Despite her current status as a prominent member of the working <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/royals\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">royal family<\/a>, appearing with <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/kate-middleton\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Kate Middleton<\/a> and <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prince-william\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Prince William<\/a> at a number of high-profile events, an expert suggests that due to her being the couple&#8217;s second-born child, she faces the inevitable historical &#8220;spare&#8221; issue that has haunted younger siblings of the heir for generations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">According to <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/itv\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">ITV<\/a> News Royal Editor Chris Ship, the young princess will eventually have to confront the reality that the monarchy\u2019s focus remains almost entirely on her older brother.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36588375\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/money\/shopping-deals\/dyson-unveils-new-airwrap-colour-36588375\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dyson unveils new Airwrap colour as tool &#8216;makes me look like I&#8217;ve been to the salon&#8217;<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Prince William and Kate \" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_Screen-Shot-2021-04-29-at-154827.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Kate will no doubt be a strong guiding hand as her daughter gets older\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Kate will no doubt be a strong guiding hand as her daughter gets older<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It\u2019s a very difficult position to be in,&#8221; he explains, noting that Charlotte will likely have to &#8220;come to terms with&#8221; her position when <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/prince-george\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Prince George<\/a> eventually becomes King.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Much like<a aria-label=\" the late Princess MargaretLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/royals\/princess-margarets-selfless-dying-wish-35997135\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\"> the late Princess Margaret<\/a>, who notoriously struggled to find her footing in the shadow of her older sister Queen Elizabeth II, Charlotte may eventually face the same existential hurdle. During the 1950s, the late Queen\u2019s younger sister notoriously faced a painful clash between expectation and personal happiness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Her romance <a aria-label=\"with RAF officer Peter Townsend Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/peter-townsend\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">with RAF officer Peter Townsend <\/a>was effectively blocked because he was a divorcee, conflicting with the Church of England\u2019s views on marriage and the Queen\u2019s role as head of the church.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ultimately, she had to choose between love and protocol, and as Chris says, \u201cThere are comparisons between Margaret and Prince Harry; both being spares to the heir without a role of their own. Margaret must have wondered what the point of her even being there was, as it was all about her older sister.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry and William\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3_Prince-William-and-Prince-Harry-Visit-RAF-Shawbury.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Harry said he felt he existed in a 'shadow' as the younger royal brother\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Harry said he felt he existed in a &#8216;shadow&#8217; as the younger royal brother(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He continued, It\u2019s a very difficult position to be in, and it\u2019s probably something Princess Charlotte will also have to come to terms with, when George eventually becomes king and she has to find a role for herself.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In Harry&#8217;s explosive memoir, which he tellingly called Spare, he wrote of being a &#8220;shadow&#8221; to his brother William. &#8220;The Heir and the Spare &#8211; there was no judgment about it, but also no ambiguity,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">world<\/a> in case something happened to Willy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow. This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life&#8217;s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7_ROYAL-WOMEN.jpg\" \/>Royal Women, OK! Special Collector&#8217;s Edition<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In this special issue of OK!, we delve into the lives of the monarchy\u2019s most influential women \u2013 highlighting the passions that drive them, the causes they champion and the bonds they\u2019ve formed along the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We look ahead to the future for the next generation of royal girls, while also revisiting iconic figures of the past who weathered storms, scrutiny and upset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">As a tribute to their resilience and staying power, it\u2019s clear that today\u2019s royal women have every reason to feel proud of the legacy they are shaping.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Click <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.regionalnewspapers.co.uk\/ok-special---royal-women-5469-p.asp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">here<\/a> to purchase your copy for \u00a39.99.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">* Follow Mirror Celebs on <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/story.snapchat.com\/p\/e938f430-2c82-432e-9424-9522e5dc822c\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Snapchat <\/a>, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mirrorceleb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Instagram <\/a>, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MirrorCeleb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Twitter <\/a>, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MirrorCeleb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Facebook <\/a>, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@MirrorCeleb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">YouTube <\/a>and <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@dailymirror\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Threads <\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the second child of Kate Middleton and Prince William, a royal expert says the young Princess could&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400621,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,96,661,149878,121,983,120,122,223,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-400620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-kate-middleton","tag-peter-townsend","tag-prince-george","tag-prince-harry","tag-prince-william","tag-princess-charlotte","tag-royal-family","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=400620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/400621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=400620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=400620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=400620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}