William and Kate's Approach to Raising Royals—Charlotte and Louis Aren't Just Spares

Their older brother George is an heir to the throne.

Prince Harry has made it clear that he wasn't a fan of his status as the spare in the royal family—he even used it as the title of his polarizing memoir. In said book, the Duke of Sussex also expressed his concerns for Kate Middleton and Prince William's two youngest kids, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are not the direct heirs to the throne. However, according to multiple experts, the future monarchs William and Kate are making sure Charlotte and Louis do not feel less than and will never be referred to as the "spares."

"I think William and Catherine understand the importance of nurturing the sibling relationships between the three of them," global parenting expert Jo Frost told Hello!. "Dare I say it, in their family, it would never be the 'heir and spare.' It would be about the importance of all of them. The understanding that it really takes a team, with the important roles in upholding the crown and the monarchy."

Frost added, "We're seeing these very early seeds now, with respect to what it means to support each other and to nurture together."

While the Prince and Princess of Wales want their youngest to feel equally as important as heir Prince George, they also want them to lead normal lives and have other options that just being working royals, according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.

"William and Kate must be acutely aware of the problems for a royal spare," Bond told OK!, per the Mirror. "They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I'm sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George."

And if Charlotte and Louis want to pursue other passions, the prince and princess do not plan to stand in their way.

"I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold…it could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished," Bond added. "I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love."

When it comes to Prince George, Kate and William still want the future king to have a full life "that is meaningful to him" outside of the monarchy while remaining "appropriate for the son of a future king."

"They will try to ensure that he feels he is living a life of value, irrespective of his place in the line of succession," Bond explained. "And that will probably involve service of some kind as they have emphasized from the start that they want their children to understand that having empathy with others is not only a kindness, but is rewarding as well."