Kate Middleton avoids saying ‘spare’ in front of Charlotte and Louis

The Wales children, who are presently second, third and fourth in the line of succession for the British throne, have had a less conventional upbringing than most other royals because their father, Prince William, is a much more involved parent.

One of the most crucial choices he and Kate have taken as parents is to refrain from using a strong and upsetting phrase in their home.

In fact, they’ve done such a good job of protecting their children from the phrase, that one royal analyst thinks the children don’t even understand what it means.

The word in question is “spare”, which has been much discussed lately due to Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir that he released in January this year.

Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told The Daily Star: “William and Catherine are determined to break the heir and the spare cycle.

“I don’t believe the word ‘spare’ has ever been uttered inside their home to describe one or more of their babies.

“It is just not on their radar. They wanted to have a large loving family.”

The term “spare” may have just gained popularity courtesy of the Duke of Sussex’s autobiography of the same name, but it has a long royal history and has been known to strain sibling relationships.

The phrase “an heir and a spare” alludes to aristocratic and Royal Families who require an heir to succeed to a title or estate.

The heir is the firstborn child, and the younger children are “spares” who can take over if something were to happen to the heir.

The most well-known “spare” in the current era is Prince Harry. In his autobiography, the Prince shared that shortly after his birth, King Charles III made a joke to his late mother, Princess Diana.

He reportedly said: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare—my work is done.”

Harry claimed that his “spare” label had followed him throughout his entire life and that he had been continually made aware of his inferiority to his bigger sibling.

He shared: “They would say it without a spirit of judgement, but straight out.

“I was the shadow, the supporting actor, the plan B. I was brought into this world in case something happened to Willy.”

It’s possible that William and Kate’s attitude towards the term “spare” and the way they are raising Prince George’s younger siblings have been impacted by Harry’s contempt for his life as one.

In order to ensure all three children understand their individually significant roles, Kinsey Schofield said the couple is attempting to instil a sense of royal duty in both Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in the same way they are doing with George.

She claimed: “William and Catherine are teaching their children about royal responsibilities through doing them.

“You will notice how poised and prepared the children seem to be during large royal engagements.

“You can tell that Princess Charlotte takes great pride in her family and responsibilities. [It reminds] me of the Princess Royal.”