Queen Elizabeth II reportedly had a deeply personal reason for showing patience and empathy toward both Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, Hardman explained that the late monarch’s leniency toward the two so-called “royal spares” stemmed from her own family history — and a lifetime of understanding what it means to live in the shadow of the crown.

A Lesson from Her Father and Sister

Elizabeth’s awareness of that struggle began early. Her father, King George VI, had never expected to be king. But when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, George suddenly inherited the throne — and the pressures that came with it.

Watching her father wrestle with the burden of unexpected duty, Hardman said, left a deep mark on the young princess. It gave her a lifelong sympathy for those whose paths were shaped by forces beyond their control.

Another influence was her relationship with her younger sister, Princess Margaret. Though adored by the public for her charm and glamour, Margaret was often described as unfulfilled — a woman who struggled to define herself apart from her proximity to power.

“All throughout Margaret’s life there was a sort of melancholy about her,” Hardman noted. “She could never really find her true role in life.”