Princess Charlotte may be just ten years old, but royal experts believe she could have an extraordinary influence on the monarchy’s future.
The only daughter of Prince William and Princess Catherine, both 43, Charlotte is said to hold the key to breaking what historians have dubbed the “heir and spare curse” that has long haunted royal siblings.
For centuries, an outdated law placed male heirs above their sisters in the line of succession.
That rule was scrapped in 2013, meaning Charlotte, who sits between Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, seven, is the first royal girl in British history to benefit from the change.
“For the first time in British history, the spare is a princess, even though she has a younger brother,” said Dr Nige Fletcher, a political and contemporary historian, in the new Channel 5 documentary Royal Heirs and Spares: Rivalry and Resentment.
“Princess Charlotte is in line after George, after a change in the law, and she now outranks her brother, Louis.”
Historian and royal author Tom Quinn added that the shift could help avoid the kind of rivalry that fractured Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship.
“It will make things a lot easier because there won’t be two males like two deer clashing antlers anymore,” he said.
A source told New Idea that William himself has noticed a difference between his children’s bond.
“William’s observed there’s much less competition between George and Charlotte, who’s become her big brother’s number one cheerleader,” they said.
“She wants him to be the best, and he trusts her to tell him the truth, even when it hurts.”
The insider added that Charlotte and George have a “very similar dynamic” to King Charles III and Princess Anne, whom they believe “would have made an incredible monarch”.
It is not the first time the young princess has been compared to her great-aunt, who is one of the hardest-working and most respected members of the monarchy.
Like the Princess Royal, she’s the second child and only daughter- sandwiched between brothers- and already displays a strong, no-nonsense streak.
“Charlotte reminds me of the Princess Royal, as she’s a strong character and able to tell her brothers what to do,” royal commentator Phil Dampier told Hello! earlier this year.
“Because Charlotte is the first princess to be above a living brother in the line of succession, she is growing up with a sense of responsibility.”
He added that “like her great-aunt,” Charlotte is “a kind soul with a reputation for being feisty and keeping her brothers under control.”
Children’s fashion designer Amaia Arrieta, who has met the Wales children several times, echoed the sentiment.
“Much like Princess Anne to King Charles, she will be dependable and a great asset to him,” she said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
