Is it just me or are Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis growing up fast? George, of course, will become king one day, while Charlotte and Louis’ royal lives will likely entail a lot of exciting things. For now, naturally, the most important thing is that they get to remain kids, and Prince William and Kate Middleton appear to be very aware of that.
At the same time, as the three royal children are quietly getting older behind the walls of their royal abode, across the Atlantic in the US their cousins are doing the same thing behind the walls of a multimillion-dollar mansion. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet live far from the British press, but their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have ensured that their children remain hot topics of conversation through their various actions.
Sadly, it’s been reported that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have lost contact with their uncle Harry, with whom George and Charlotte had formed a strong bond before he left the Royal Family for good.
That’s something that might soon return to haunt Prince William and Kate Middleton, with a royal expert now painting a sad verdict on what could be coming next.
Prince Harry was the happiest uncle in the world when he heard the news of Prince George’s birth in 2013. By his own admission, Harry saw himself visiting for daily play dates and quality time, but in his book, Spare, the Duke gave the impression that he had been essentially closed off by William and Kate and was “never invited” over.
“I took it for granted that I would be invited to their house at any moment. But the days went by, and it didn’t happen,” he explained. “I understand, I thought. They’re busy! Building a family! Or maybe… three’s a crowd. Maybe if I get married things will change,” Harry wrote in Spare.
Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince George, Princess Charlotte & Prince Louis
Two years later William and Kate welcomed Princess Charlotte, and Harry was able to create a bond with his nephew and niece. Prince Louis, though, was only two years old when the Duke left the UK behind, and it’s quite clear that the youngest of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children doesn’t have any real connection to Harry.
That said, Harry has made it clear that he wants to be a part of the children’s lives. Not only that, but another sad part of his “exile” is that his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have pretty much never seen their cousins.
As mentioned, Louis has never experienced the sort of relationship with his uncle Harry that his elder siblings did, simply because he was too young. But when the young prince was christened, Harry went to lengths to ensure he gave his youngest nephew a great present.
When Louis was christened, Harry put in plenty of work to get the perfect gift. Looking back, he remembered how his mother, Princess Diana, had a great passion for collecting first editions. Therefore, Harry wanted to start a new chapter with his nephews and nieces, thereby keeping the tradition alive.
“One of Harry’s happiest childhood memories was being read a bedtime story by his mother. She loved all the old classics, and Harry had the brilliant idea of starting a little library of first editions for Louis, Charlotte, and George to enjoy as they get older,” a close source told the Daily Record.
Prince Harry’s special gift to Prince Louis was inspired by his mother
Harry went shopping and bought an original edition of A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. It cost him about £8,000 ($10,000).
It was previously reported Harry opted for a rare copy from the initial print run of 30,000 copies in 1926.
“He originally wanted to get Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass, which was on sale for £24,000, but decided Winnie-The-Pooh would be more suitable for a first tome. Robinson Crusoe was William’s favorite book, but Harry loved all things A.A. Milne,” the source continued.
But while Harry undoubtedly adores his brother’s children, sadly, he also harbors concerns. In an interview with The Telegraph to promote his book, the Duke stated his worries about Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis becoming “spares” just like him.
“Though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare,” Harry said.
“And that hurts, that worries me.”
Harry continued: “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy, 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’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.”
Prince William & Kate Middleton “aware” of possibly ‘Spare’ problems
At the time, royal expert Ingrid Seward criticized Harry for his words about Charlotte and Louis, saying he should” lay off Prince William’s children.”
But even though Harry might have his worries, recent reports state that Prince William and Kate Middleton have everything under control.
Speaking with the Mirror, royal expert Jennie Bond says that the Prince and Princess of Wales “must be acutely aware” of the problems that could come with Prince Louis — and Princess Charlotte — becoming “spare.”
“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,” Bond told the Mirror.
“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. I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love.”
The royal expert continued: “And from there they will want him to find a life that is meaningful to him as well as 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 and that will probably involve service of some kind as they have emphasised 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.”
Prince Louis could have ‘own career’ outside royal spotlight, expert says
As Bond suggested, William and Kate might encourage Louis to try new things and find his passion outside of royal life. Should he opt to remain in the royal fold, meanwhile, he will likely be handed a crucial senior role within the monarchy and significant titles.
But Bond isn’t the only one predicting that Prince Louis could do more than just royal engagements. In an interview with OK!, per Yahoo, Camilla Tominey, royal expert and associate editor at The Telegraph, claimed Prince William and Kate Middleton would want Charlotte and Louis to “have their own careers” if they’d prefer it.
“[William & Kate] don’t want history to repeat itself and Prince Louis seem like a royal hanger-on and go down the Duke of York path,” she told the Telegraph.
“A lot of the more minor royals have got careers of their own so they aren’t really being tax payer funded,” she continued. “The extent to which the Cambridges have tried to normalise the lives of their children very much points in the direction of – yes, Prince George has his destiny mapped out but Princess Charlotte and Louis’ having their own careers?’”
Tominey concluded: “They’ve got to get the balance right of what their own children want to do with their lives and their royal commitments.”
“We might be seeing fewer royals in the future than we’re used to. But the question is, are there going to be enough royals to go around?”
“In their family it would never be the ‘heir and spare’”
In an interview with Hello! Magazine, parenting expert Jo Frost said that the Prince and Princess of Wales would never allow Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to become” heir and spare” to their older brother, Prince George.
“I think William and Catherine understand the importance of nurturing the sibling relationships between the three of them,” Frost said.
“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.”
The relationship expert added: “And so, we’re seeing these very early seeds now, with respect to what it means to support each other and to nurture together.”
While Prince George and Princess Charlotte surely have recollections and great memories of spending time with Harry, Louis does not. Whether the kids know exactly why their uncle isn’t around anymore is unknown – but that could soon change.
Speaking to GB News, royal commentator Lydia Alty stated that the three royal children are ‘likely asking questions’ about Harry and what really happened when he left.
Prince Louis and his siblings are ‘likely asking questions” about Prince Harry
“Prince Harry used to be close to his brother, Prince William. He was also very close to Prince William’s wife, the Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis,” she said.
“Harry was even close to his father, despite reports and claims from him that he wasn’t. Now that the royals have all split up and, as far as we know, not talking, this will have affected George, Charlotte and Louis.”
Lydia Alty concluded: “His nephews and niece will probably be wondering why they haven’t seen their uncle and cousins.”
Do you think Prince Louis will become a working Royal Family member or move on to another career? Please share this article with friends and family and give us your opinion!
My Husband Made a Schedule to ‘Improve’ Me as a Wife — I Taught Him a Valuable Lesson Instead
I was stunned when my husband, Jake, handed me a schedule to help me “become a better wife.” But instead of blowing up, I played along. Little did Jake know, I was about to teach him a lesson that would make him rethink his newfound approach to marriage.
I’ve always prided myself on being the level-headed one in our marriage. Jake, bless his heart, could get swept up in things pretty easily, whether it was a new hobby, or some random YouTube video that promised to change his life in three easy steps.
But we were solid until Jake met Steve. Steve was the type of guy who thought being loudly opinionated made him right, the type that talks right over you when you try to correct him.
He was also a perpetually single guy (who could have guessed?), who graciously dispensed relationship advice to all his married colleagues, Jake included. Jake should’ve known better, but my darling husband was positively smitten with Steve’s confidence.
I didn’t think much of it until Jake started making some noxious comments.
“Steve says relationships work best when the wife takes charge of the household,” he’d say. Or “Steve thinks it’s important for women to look good for their husbands, no matter how long they’ve been married.”
I’d roll my eyes and reply with some sarcastic remark, but it was getting under my skin. Jake was changing. He’d arch his eyebrows if I ordered takeout instead of cooking, and sigh when I let the laundry pile up because, God forbid, I had my own full-time job.
And then it happened. One night, he came home with The List.
He sat me down at the kitchen table, unfolded a piece of paper, and slid it across to me.
“I’ve been thinking,” he started, his voice dripping with a condescending tone I hadn’t heard from him before. “You’re a great wife, Lisa. But there’s room for improvement.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh really?”
He nodded, oblivious to the danger zone he was entering. “Yeah. Steve helped me realize that our marriage could be even better if you, you know, stepped up a bit.”
I stared at the paper in front of me. It was a schedule… and he’d written “Lisa’s Weekly Routine for Becoming a Better Wife” at the top in bold.
This guy had actually sat down and mapped out my entire week based on what Steve — a single guy with zero relationship experience — thought I should do to “improve” myself as a wife.
I was supposed to wake up at 5 a.m. every day to make Jake a gourmet breakfast. Then I’d hit the gym for an hour to “stay in shape.”
After that? A delightful lineup of chores: cleaning, laundry, ironing. And that was all before I left for work. I was supposed to cook a meal from scratch every evening and make fancy snacks for Jake and his friends when they came over to hang out at our place.
The whole thing was sexist and insulting on so many levels I didn’t even know where to start. I ended up staring at him, wondering if my husband had lost his mind.
“This will be great for you, and us,” he continued, oblivious.
“Steve says it’s important to maintain structure, and I think you could benefit from —”
“I could benefit from what?” I interrupted, my voice dangerously calm. Jake blinked, caught off guard by the interruption, but he recovered quickly.
“Well, you know, from having some guidance and a schedule.”
I wanted to throw that paper in his face and ask him if he’d developed a death wish. Instead, I did something that surprised even me: I smiled.
“You’re right, Jake,” I said sweetly. “I’m so lucky that you made me this schedule. I’ll start tomorrow.”
The relief on his face was instant. I almost felt sorry for him as I got up and stuck the list on the fridge. Almost. He had no idea what was coming.
The next day, I couldn’t help but smirk as I studied the ridiculous schedule again. If Jake thought he could hand me a list of “improvements,” then he was about to find out just how much structure our life could really handle.
I pulled out my laptop, opened up a fresh document, and titled it, “Jake’s Plan for Becoming the Best Husband Ever.” He wanted a perfect wife? Fine. But there was a cost to perfection.
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I began by listing all the things he had suggested for me, starting with the gym membership he was so keen on. It was laughable, really.
“$1,200 for a personal trainer.” I typed, barely containing my giggle.
Next came the food. If Jake wanted to eat like a king, that wasn’t happening on our current grocery budget. Organic, non-GMO, free-range everything? That stuff didn’t come cheap.
“$700 per month for groceries,” I wrote. He’d probably need to chip in for a cooking class too. Those were pricey, but hey, perfection wasn’t free.
I leaned back in my chair, laughing to myself as I imagined Jake’s face when he saw this. But I wasn’t done. Oh no, the pièce de résistance was still to come.
See, there was no way I could juggle all these expectations while holding down my job. If Jake wanted me to dedicate myself full-time to his absurd routine, then he’d have to compensate for the loss of my income.
I pulled up a calculator, estimating the value of my salary. Then, I added it to the list, complete with a little note: “$75,000 per year to replace Lisa’s salary since she will now be your full-time personal assistant, maid, and chef.”
My stomach hurt from laughing at this point.
And just for good measure, I threw in a suggestion about him needing to expand the house. After all, if he was going to have his friends over regularly, they’d need a dedicated space that wouldn’t intrude on my newly organized, impossibly structured life.
“$50,000 to build a separate ‘man cave’ so Jake and his friends don’t disrupt Lisa’s schedule.”
By the time I was done, the list was a masterpiece. A financial and logistical nightmare, sure, but a masterpiece nonetheless. It wasn’t just a counterattack — it was a wake-up call.
I printed it out, set it neatly on the kitchen counter, and waited for Jake to come home. When he finally walked through the door that evening, he was in a good mood.
“Hey, babe,” he called out, dropping his keys on the counter. He spotted the paper almost immediately. “What’s this?”
I kept my face neutral, fighting the urge to laugh as I watched him pick it up. “Oh, it’s just a little list I put together for you,” I said sweetly, “to help you become the best husband ever.”
Jake chuckled, thinking I was playing along with his little game. But as he scanned the first few lines, the grin started to fade. I could see the wheels turning in his head, the slow realization that this wasn’t the lighthearted joke he thought it was.
“Wait… what is all this?” He squinted at the numbers, his eyes widening as he saw the total costs. “$1,200 for a personal trainer? $700 a month for groceries? What the hell, Lisa?”
I leaned against the kitchen island, crossing my arms.
“Well, you want me to wake up at 5 a.m., hit the gym, make gourmet breakfasts, clean the house, cook dinner, and host your friends. I figured we should budget for all of that, don’t you think?”
His face turned pale as he flipped through the pages. “$75,000 a year? You’re quitting your job?!”
I shrugged. “How else am I supposed to follow your plan? I can’t work and be the perfect wife, right?”
He stared at the paper, dumbfounded.
The numbers, the absurdity of his own demands, it all hit him at once. His smugness evaporated, replaced by a dawning realization that he had seriously, seriously messed up.
“I… I didn’t mean…” Jake stammered, looking at me with wide eyes. “Lisa, I didn’t mean for it to be like this. I just thought —”
“You thought what? That I could ‘improve’ myself like some project?” My voice was calm, but the hurt behind it was real. “Jake, marriage isn’t about lists or routines. It’s about respect. And if you ever try to ‘fix’ me like this again, you’ll be paying a hell of a lot more than what’s on that paper.”
Silence hung in the air, thick and uncomfortable. Jake’s face softened, his shoulders slumping as he let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t realize how ridiculous it was. Steve made it sound sensible, but now I see it’s… it’s toxic. Oh God, I’ve been such a fool.”
I nodded, watching him carefully. “Yes, you have. Honestly, have you looked at Steve’s life? What makes you think he has the life experience to give you advice about marriage? Or anything else?”
The look on his face as my words hit home was priceless.
“You’re right. And he could never afford to live like this.” He slapped the list with the back of his hand. “He… he has no idea about the costs involved, or how demeaning this is. Oh, Lisa, I got carried away again, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but we’ll recover. Now, let’s tear that paper up and go back to being equals.”
He smiled weakly, the tension breaking just a little. “Yeah… let’s do that.”
We ripped up the list together, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like we were back on the same team.
Maybe this was what we needed, a reminder that marriage isn’t about one person being “better” than the other. It’s about being better together.
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