Royal Expert’s Prediction for Prince Louis’ Future Feels Awfully Sexist & Now We Have the Ick

There’s been a lot of talk lately — and frankly, there probably always will be — about what the “spares” in the Wales family will do in the future. And how, if possible, does the royal family keep them from going rogue like their Uncle Prince Harry?

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond recently said that Prince William and Kate Middleton must be “acutely aware” of the problems their younger kids — Princess Charlotte, 8 and Prince Louis, 5 — face as the spares of the family. (As opposed to their big brother, Prince George, who is the heir to the throne.)

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And so Bond doesn’t think it’s surprising that Buckingham Palace is keeping this royal spare role model around to show the two that they can stay within the family. They don’t have to leave the family and write a damning tell-all, à la Harry.

Bond said Prince William and Kate Middleton’s approach to parenting — where they try to give their kids as “normal” a life as possible — will likely leave their spares knowing that working as a royal isn’t their only option.

“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,” she said. “I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University … 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.”

And something about that prediction just doesn’t sit right with me.

Why is Louis the one that she thinks will be encouraged to leave “the royal fold?” Is it because he’s the youngest? The sassiest? Or is it because she expects Princess Charlotte will stay firmly in line? As a woman, does she expect Charlotte will just smile and wave and wear her pretty tiaras and not rock the boat? Meanwhile, Louis will want out and be nothing but trouble? Does she think he will inevitably have a fragile male ego and put up a fight about living in the shadow of his brother? Can she not fathom that a woman would take the same path as Prince Harry — calling out the palace on all their alleged awfulness?

These are just questions, and I have no ill will toward Bond, but I do feel some major ick about it all. If he wanted to, Prince Louis could be a fantastic senior working member of the royal family. And if she wanted to, Princess Charlotte could be a bad a** member of the British military … right?

I’ll get off my soapbox soon. But when discussing the monarchy — an institution that works double-time to perpetuate the patriarchy — sexist predictions like this just rubs me the wrong way.

“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 emphasized 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,” Bond continued.

Which is a message I — and the entire Wales family — can get behind.

Before you go, check out 42 times Prince Louis was adorably unimpressed by King Charles’ coronation.

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