Princess Charlotte’s place in royal history is groundbreaking—her role as the so-called “spare” looks nothing like what we’ve seen before in the British monarchy.

At only ten years old, Princess Charlotte already holds a remarkable position in a transforming royal family.

A New Kind of ‘Spare’

Although Princess Charlotte’s daily life appears relatively normal for a royal child, her position as third in line to the throne makes her role especially distinctive.

“For the first time in British history, the spare is a princess, even though she has a younger brother,” explained historian Dr. Nige Fletcher in a new Channel 5 documentary, according to the Daily Mail.

“Princess Charlotte is in line after George, after a change in the law, and she now outranks her brother, Louis.”

This shift came from a landmark change in succession laws passed before Prince George’s birth in 2013, abolishing male primogeniture—the rule that once placed younger sons ahead of elder daughters in the line of succession.

In other words, if Charlotte had been born before George, she would have become queen. The law ensures that princesses now retain their place in the line, regardless of whether they have younger brothers.

The End of Male Primogeniture

Primogeniture traditionally meant “the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child, especially the feudal rule by which the whole real estate of an intestate passed to the eldest son.”

In the documentary, historian and author Tom Quinn reflected on how the lives of Prince William and Princess Kate’s children will differ greatly from earlier generations.

Their upbringing contrasts sharply with that of King Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William, and Prince Harry.

For example, Princess Anne was never the “spare” to King Charles, despite being his next-eldest sibling. Simply because she was a girl, her younger brother Prince Andrew became next in line.

Quinn noted that under the new rules for George, Charlotte, and Louis, “it will make things a lot easier because there won’t be two males like two deer clashing antlers anymore.”

A Freer Future for the Next Generation

Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, also commented on the evolving royal dynamic, saying that thanks to the legal change, George, Charlotte, and Louis will have more “freedom and choice than their father had.”

The documentary aired shortly after Prince William shared his thoughts on Prince George’s eventual role as king during The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy.

When asked how he feels about his son’s future, William reflected:
“It’s an interesting question and it’s a big question that one. Because there’s lots of things to think about with that. But obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”