According to his self-analysis, being the spare means a lifetime of suffering and constantly feeling like a runner-up in a race he never chose to be part of.
Harry also expressed resentment over the difference in real estate allocation, as he was left living in a seemingly embarrassing cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, while William, Catherine, and their children resided in an impressive, museum-like place.
However, recent developments stemming from the release of the annual Sovereign Grant report have dealt a blow to Harry's self-pitying narrative. The report, released last week, has shed light on a previously unoccupied palace apartment of comparable size to William's residence. This property could have been a suitable home for Harry and Meghan had they chosen to stay in the UK.
So, who would sympathize with Harry now? In his book "Spare," Harry attempts to validate his claims of being treated as lesser throughout his life. One of the ways he tries to support his argument revolves around real estate, specifically the free housing provided to members of the royal family. When he introduced Meghan to his living arrangements at Nottingham Cottage, he described his embarrassment, acknowledging that it was far from a palace or anything of grandeur.
However, in contrast, when they visited the Prince and Princess of Wales in their luxurious 20-room palace apartment, which had been extensively renovated at considerable expense, Harry expressed a sense of horror and the idea of being reduced to buying furniture from a budget retailer or having to pay for their own sofa.
Supposedly, there was an equally sizable apartment next to William and Catherine's, which could have been Harry and Meghan's if they had desired it. However, this information suggests that Harry was not consistently treated as second best. According to Royal editor Richard Palmer, who works with the Express, this week's accounting of grants has highlighted that the 21-room apartment, previously occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for over 40 years, remains unoccupied.
The recent reporting serves as a reminder that the tiny Nottingham Cottage, with its lambs and paid for via Harry's earnings from the TV show "Suits," was not a result of Harry always being treated as second best.
Megan and Harry were never destined to spend their entire royal careers crammed into the confines of the small, centuries-old cottage known as the Lounge. Dating back to the 17th century, this box-like cottage was far from the permanent solution for the couple. In fact, reports from 2018 suggested that the Gloucester couple, of lower rank, were planning to vacate their long-standing residence to make way for the Sussexes. They had already invested a substantial $2.6 million in repairing the roof, replacing windows, and removing asbestos.
However, these plans abruptly changed when Harry and Megan decided to forgo living in London altogether. Instead, they expressed their desire to move to Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. This throws into question the validity of the whole narrative surrounding Megan and Harry feeling shortchanged in terms of housing arrangements. The Express's coverage of the grant report serves as a reminder that there wasn't a significant disparity in how the two brothers were treated when it came to housing.
Had they chosen to do so, Megan and Harry could have obtained an apartment similar to that of the Waleses. Harry is a man driven to prove himself wrong, as he even admits in his book "Spare." In it, he recounts the challenges of living at Nottingham Cottage, reaching a point where he felt compelled to call his grandmother, the Queen, requesting a new place to live. It's quite an image, phoning up the Queen of England and asking for a new, free home.
Nevertheless, Harry explains that they had discussed their housing situation with the palace and were offered several properties, each deemed too grand and expensive to renovate. It's worth noting the inconsistency in Harry's narrative. On one hand, he complained about their tiny home, while simultaneously claiming that the alternative options were too lavish and costly to refurbish. Yet, it should be noted that the funds for renovations would have come from the grant, rather than their personal finances.
Ultimately, what this grant report underscores is the fact that much, if not everything, was handed to Harry and Megan on a silver platter, facilitated by the royal establishment. Yet, they persist in portraying themselves as victims of a system that supposedly treated them unfairly.
It's worth mentioning that since the Gloucesters vacated the property, nobody has actually taken possession of it, and there is still a significant amount of work to be done before it can be comfortably lived in. However, considering the substantial amount of grant money allocated to the Waleses' apartment, it's safe to assume that Megan and Harry would have been provided with the necessary funds to renovate the place.
When it comes to the royal children, regardless of their status as heirs or spares, they have all been bestowed with beautiful homes of their own. There's no reason to believe that William and Harry would have been treated differently in this regard. Perhaps William would have acquired more expensive artwork than Harry, but in the grand scheme of things, does that really hold significant importance?
Interestingly enough, Harry isn't the only one appearing indecisive in light of the grant report. King Charles has long been an advocate for the environment, and to his credit, his Aston Martin runs on unconventional fuels like cheese and wine.
Recent news revealed that he had significantly lowered the temperature of the palace's indoor pools, to the point where anyone contemplating a swim might risk suffering from frostbite. Additionally, the report states that His Majesty aimed to reduce energy usage in all royal properties by setting the thermostats to a cool 19 degrees Celsius. It's a commendable gesture, setting an example for all of us.
However, there's a significant hiccup. The same report highlights that the working members of the Windsor family took a total of 179 helicopter trips, 65 chartered flights, and numerous rides on the Royal Train. When we crunch the numbers, it averages out to nearly four helicopter trips per week and more than one private flight per week. It seems that Harry's supposed hypocrisy may have been inherited after all. It's ironic how they try to make certain points, only to undermine them immediately.
In his book "Spare," Harry endeavors to convince everyone that he was treated unfairly. Yet, he conveniently omits that he could have had a 21-room apartment in Kensington Palace. As for Charles, with his eco-conscious cheese-fueled car driving through the lanes of Gloucestershire, he finds himself confronted with the reality of the palace's frequent helicopter usage.
In the end, it seems that both father and son are focused on making their respective points, only to unwittingly undermine themselves.
