During a media interview, Harry admitted he felt a lingering responsibility toward his nieces and nephew. Even though William had told him clearly that his children were not Harry’s concern, Harry said he could not shake the worry that history would repeat itself. Those remarks caused unease among royal commentators, who viewed them as a public projection onto children who are still very young.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond later commented that Harry’s assumptions were unfair. She pointed out that other royal siblings in history did not live in the shadow of the heir. Princess Anne and Prince Edward, for example, built full lives without seeing themselves as lesser. Bond argued that Charlotte and Louis are growing up with privilege, opportunity, and purpose. They are not destined to feel second class simply because Harry once did.