Why Princess Charlotte will be under more scrutiny than Prince Harry as she grows up

Princess Charlotte
(Image credit: Getty)

Princess Charlotte is expected to be under more scrutiny than Prince Harry as she grows older.

Princess Charlotte is expected to be under more scrutiny than Prince Harry because she is fourth in line to the throne and female, according to a royal commentator.

But the Princess, five, is expected to endure 'even more scrutiny' than her uncle Prince Harry, as there is a chance she could follow in the footsteps of the rebellious Duke who decided to quit the royal family and live a life out of the spotlight.

As the only daughter of Prince William and wife Kate, who also have sons Prince George, eight, and Prince Louis, two, Princess Charlotte has been put into the spotlight when her parents have shared lovely snaps of her on their Instagram page.

But the cheeky side to her which was seen when she infamously stuck her tongue out at viewers during The King's Cup regatta, could mean she is showing signs of a rebellious streak.

Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton

(Image credit: Getty)

At the time, shocked by the gesture, Duchess Kate, who has an inspiring parenting style, quickly pulled Charlotte away from the window but it was understood she spotted her grandfather Michael Middleton down below.

In the Amazon Prime documentary, William and Kate: The Journey, Part 4, royal commentator Camilla Tominey gave her reasoning for there being more pressure on Charlotte. She said, "I’m sure all eyes will be on Charlotte — in fact, there’ll be even more scrutiny for her because she’s female.”

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In the past, royal women — such as the late Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, and the Duchess of Sussex — typically struggle more under the public gaze compared to their male counterparts.

In the documentary, which aired in 2018, Ms. Tominey made comparisons between Harry and Charlotte — long before the Sussexes stepped away from royal life.

The documentary’s voiceover explained, “Princess Charlotte’s birth has heralded a new era of girl power into the British Royal Family. After Queen Elizabeth II’s reign is over, the prospect of three male Kings means the Royal Family will not see a female on the throne for many years to come.”

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Ms. Tominey then told viewers, “How lovely to have Charlotte bringing up the rear — she’s rather unkindly called the ‘Spare to the Heir’, as Prince Harry is. But, as he has proved himself, it’s a role you can make your own.”

Meanwhile, speaking on Channel 5’s Secrets of Royal Palaces,  commentator Katie Nicholl looked at Harry's decision to quit the Firm for an independent life.

She said, “In many ways, Prince Harry was setting a precedent for the next generation of royals. If this works, it may well be a blueprint for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and other royal children down the line of succession.”

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)