5 Notable "Heirs and Spares" in the British Royal Family

Imagine if Prince Charles had abdicated back in the 1980s and his brother Andrew was suddenly next in line to the throne . . . Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie would now be the two of the most famous women in the world, and Beatrice would one day be queen.

This is pretty much what happened when the newly acceded King Edward VIII abdicated back in 1936. He was unable to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson and still be king, so by choosing to relinquish his claim to the throne he forever changed the fate of not just his younger brother Prince Albert — who immediately became George VI — but also that of the new king's daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

The queen was a 10-year-old princess when her future was suddenly very clearly laid out by her uncle's abdication, but the role of her younger sister Princess Margaret was less defined. For a time Margaret took on a raft of patronages and went out on a stream of tours and public engagements, before settling into the life of a royal wife and mother.

However as her life progressed, she became known more for her decadent social life and romantic entanglements, while her royal engagements dwindled along with her health, and as the queen's children took on more responsibilities Margaret's royal role became increasingly redundant.

Prince Charles's younger brother Andrew got off to a promising start with a career in the Royal Navy, and he served his country in the Falklands War. Along with Charles and Diana, he and his wife, Sarah, were key members of the royal family throughout the 1980s. He took on assorted royal patronages and was made UK special representative for trade and investment. However, as the role of the family evolved and necessary adjustments were made to their finances, Andrew made some very questionable decisions on how he made his money, and his lavish spending earned him the nickname "Air-miles Andy."

Charles and Diana were determined that even though William was destined for the top job, Harry wouldn't feel neglected, and so — as much as possible — their sons were raised the same. Harry's teenage partying threatened to create a damagingly frivolous reputation similar to that of his great-aunt Margaret and uncle Andrew, but as he's grown up his role has become more and more clear. The prince now focuses his attention predominantly on three key areas: his charity Sentebale (which he set up after visiting the tiny country of Lesotho at the age of 19. At the time, Lesotho had the one of the highest HIV rates in the world, and in this field he feels he is continuing his mother's work with those affected by HIV/AIDS); supporting injured service-people (being able to serve his country in Afghanistan has clearly defined Harry and has led him to set up the Invictus Games, which is gearing up for its fourth year in Sydney 2018); and mental health issues (after over a decade of bottling up emotions over his mother's death, he spoke recently about having counseling and is now championing the importance of discussing mental health.)

Although Harry is now fifth in line to the throne, he will remain a very important part of the royal family for at least the next 20 years, before Prince George and Princess Charlotte are able to start full-time royal duties.

William has learned from the way that he and Harry were raised how to create a balance between preparing the eldest child to be a ruler while making both children feel as important and valued as each other. Kate comes from a stable and happy family home, so she will be able to strengthen this dynamic using her own experiences. This means that as Charlotte grows, her parents will be keeping an eye on her passions and strengths in order to guide her in how these can best be used to create a fulfilling and enduring role for herself. Meanwhile, she will also act as a support to her big brother until he has a family of his own.