10 Times Princess Charlotte & Prince George Proved They Aren't Falling Into The 'Heir And Spare' Trap

Having many children can be a tactical move for royal families. After all, if they want to continue their royal lineage, they need to have an heir to pass down the crown — and a spare just in case something happens to the heir. For William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, however, the relationship their eldest kids share is more meaningful than that. Prince George, born in 2013, and Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, are thick as thieves and have often been caught laughing and genuinely having fun together — a total 180 from the usual "heir and spare" trap that often values one sibling over the other and pits them against each other.

Their seemingly healthy sibling bond is likely due to William and Kate's influence, as they have worked hard to foster a different relationship between their kids than William and his brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, have. (ICYMI, William and Harry are basically the textbook definition of "heir and spare," with a timeline of their feud starting as early as 1998.) 

In a 2019 interview with People, royal insiders revealed that George and Charlotte are always there for each other. "They are close in age, and they spend so much time together," the source said. "Playdates [with outsiders] can be tricky, so they learn to lean on each other." While it's true that Princess Charlotte would be next in line to the throne if Prince George became king before getting married and having an heir himself, that doesn't seem to affect their relationship now. Even parenting expert  "Supernanny" star Jo Frost sees how differently William and Kate are parenting their kids. And these pictures prove the siblings genuinely enjoy spending time together.

When Princess Charlotte and Prince George are caught on camera, they are often smiling together. Like in this photo, from the late Queen Elizabeth II's Trooping the Colour and Platinum Jubilee in 2022. George and Charlotte stood next to each other in coordinating blue outfits, looking up at something in the sky and sharing similar, wide-mouth grins. From their big smiles to their scrunched-up noses — and even the way their heads were tilted — these siblings looked like twins and were obviously having fun. 

Princess Charlotte and Prince George both share a love of sports. Naturally, they had a great time sitting side-by-side at Day 14 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in July 2023. In one photo, Charlotte had both hands raised in the air in fists (with fingers crossed for extra luck) as she screamed out in excitement. George also raised his fists and hollered at the tennis court, on the same level of enthusiasm as his sister.

Ever since she was a toddler, Princess Charlotte has adored her older brother, Prince George. During a visit to Canada in 2016, Catherine, Princess of Wales, leaned down to talk to George as she held Charlotte in her arms. While Kate held her son's hand and whispered something to him, Charlotte leaned forward toward George. She stared intently at him and opened her mouth as if she was going to dish about the latest gossip with him.

William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, stepped out with their newborn daughter, Princess Charlotte, after her christening in July 2015. As they walked away from the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham, Prince George stood on his tippy toes and used one hand to grip the edge of the stroller for a better view. He peered over the top at his baby sister and smiled, delighted at his new, built-in best friend. He's so cute!

Princess Charlotte clearly finds her brother, Prince George's, sense of humor hilarious. In this candid moment taken in 2022 as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, George smiled down at his sister, likely after telling her something funny. She leaned forward, laughing hysterically with her mouth wide open as she looked back up at her brother. If there was any doubt these two get along well, this photo dispels it.

Princess Charlotte and Prince George played soccer together during The King Power Royal Charity Polo Day in 2019, which revealed their camaraderie. Charlotte stuck out her foot in this picture, likely trying to catch a pass from her brother (or block him from scoring a goal). George leaned forward as he ran toward the ball, focused on getting the ball back from his little sister. Years later, they continued to play sports together, along with their parents and Prince Louis.

Prince George was the best big brother to Princess Charlotte when she was a baby. That's because he proved endlessly entertaining to her! In a photo taken at a children's party for military families during the Royal Tour of Canada in 2016, George laughed as he held up a fish-shaped bubble wand, which blew bubbles at his little sister. Charlotte gazed at her older brother, mesmerized by what he was doing in the adorable moment.

Princess Charlotte presented her brother Prince George with a flower during a visit to Cardiff Castle in June 2022. She looked adorable with a big smile on her face as she held up the flower to George, who stood in front of her in this cute snap. These two have always been so sweet to each other, proving that even future royal roles can't put a stain on their relationship.

One of the cutest pictures of Princess Charlotte and Prince George shows how they literally have each other's backs. At Trooping the Colour in 2017, Prince George grinned up at the sky as he stood back-to-back with his little sister. For her part, Charlotte rested her chin on her hand as she stood right next to her older brother. She leaned on him, shoulder to elbow, as she watched the show. Both looked perfectly content at this official outing, probably because they had each other.

Some things never change, and the way Princess Charlotte and Prince George entertain each other during royal events is one of them. In a picture taken at Trooping the Colour in June 2026, Princess Charlotte looked up at the sky with squinted eyes while George looked like he was trying to stop himself mid-laugh from making a funny face as he glanced at Charlotte. Even their mother couldn't help but smile at George in this cute moment, although their little brother, Prince Louis, was distracted by what was happening in the sky.