rince Harry Is More of a ‘Spare’ Now Than Ever Before Following Sister-in-Law Kate’s Cancer Announcement: Here are the reasons a royal commentator has laid out about the Duke of Sussex being more of a “spare” now than before

With a memoir titled Spare, there’s no secret about how Prince Harry felt throughout his life as a member of the royal family. And following the Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) announcement revealing her cancer diagnosis, an expert believes the Duke of Sussex’s feelings about his place in the family are bubbling to the surface again as he’s more of a “spare” now than he ever was.

In early February when King Charles was diagnosed with cancer, Prince Harry said that he got a personal phone call from his father delivering the news. But on March 22, the duke and his wife, Meghan Markle, found out about their sister-in-law Kate’s cancer diagnosis the same way the rest of the public did; via her video message.

According to royal expert and historian Tessa Dunlop, that coupled with what else has been going on in the House of Windsor while Harry is more than 5,000 miles away in Montecito, has him feeling more like a spare at this moment than any other point in his life. Dunlap told The Mirror: “The Sussexes are now on the back foot. Harry’s book Spare is permanent proof that he and one of the world’s most famous women, Kate, are no longer close. (Let’s not mention William). Beyond the uncomfortable optics, it is also possible that the Sussex brand will have taken a knock.

“Firstly, hard though it may be to believe, the public only has so much bandwidth for royal celebrity, and right now it is Kate who is the global icon. That she would rather not be, especially in such unhappy circumstances, garners her all the more sympathy. Sure, Harry and Meghan had a right to complain about press intrusion and difficult dynamics within the institution of royalty but can anything compare with the nightmare assault on Kate over the last two months?”

Dunlap added: “Meghan is using more than a touch of regal glamour to brand her new site, American Riveria Orchard. Meanwhile, Harry is the self-identifying royal ‘spare.’ And in the wake of his sister-in-law’s health revelations, I expect he feels more spare than ever. The Sussexes must plan their next public move with extreme care. The timing and optics matter like never before.” Something Harry almost certainly didn’t plan on happening is Prince William and Queen Camilla really bonding over the similar situations their partners are in with their health.

In the wake of their significant others being diagnosed with cancer and their commitment to the Crown, Prince William and Queen Camilla have now become close allies. The fact that his brother and stepmother have banded together and formed a bond is something royal expert and author Tom Quinn believes the Duke of Sussex is having a hard time digesting.

Speaking to The Mirror Quinn said: “[Harry] really distrusts that William actually gets on rather well now with Camilla — Harry will see this as a betrayal. He was shocked when William realized that Camilla, far from being the monster they thought her when they were children, is actually a rather nice woman. She is exceptionally good at listening with a sympathetic ear and William has definitely warmed to that.

“Harry on the other hand sees this as one more example of William letting the side down — for Harry things have never moved on really since his mother died. For Harry, Camilla was the wicked stepmother back then, and she still is.”