Prince Harry received poorer treatment from the royal family than Prince William because he was not the heir to the throne, royal historian and Battle of Brothers author Robert Lacey alleged in a recent interview.
While Harry and William received similar amounts of attention as children, Harry was “pushed ever outwards” by the royals as he grew older, Lacey said.
Speaking on the podcast Pod Save the Queen, as the Express reports, Lacey noted that William was the heir while Harry was the “spare,” which had a direct impact on the way the royals treated him. “I would say William has been kindlier treated than Harry has been, but that has always been the fate of the spare,” Lacey said.
Lacey continues: “Harry follows, sadly, in the tradition of Princess Margaret or Prince Andrew as number twos in the system, who are treated harshly by the logic of the royal system which actually favors the main bloodline.
“When they are born and are young and children, the spare is always so close to the centre of things and it is their destiny, through life, to be pushed ever outwards.
“In technical terms, of course, they go down the line of succession. From Harry being right next to William in the succession, he is down to six, seven, eight or so.”
At present, Harry is fifth in line to the throne, following Prince William, and William’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
