The Spares Who Became Heirs | Heir and the Spare | People Who Unexpectedly Became Monarchs

From History Calling

QUESTION: What do Henry VIII, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Charles I, James II, Mary II, Queen Anne, George I, William IV, George V and George VI have in common, beyond being royalty? Answer: they were all royal spares who became heirs, then ultimately took the crown. The men were never meant to King, the women were never meant to be Queen, but all made it to the throne nonetheless through a combination of early deaths, the occasional revolution and even, famously, the abdication crisis of 1936. Some were even born as the heir to the throne, only to lose that position then regain it. In this week’s royal history documentary from History Calling I’m going to take you through the past 500 years of English history to bring you the story of the people who unexpectedly became monarchs and how they did it. The problems of lost heirs and ambitious spares is one which has affected all the royal houses of England, including the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Hanoverians and the Windsors, as Princes of Wales either passed away before producing any children of their own, decided they didn’t want the top job after all or were even shunted aside by their big sisters. Yes, unlikely as it may sound, this video will also include a story of two daughters who stole their father’s throne and usurped their brother’s claim to it. This video is inspired by Prince Harry’s whingeing memoir, Spare, a reference to his former position as spare to his brother, Prince William, though nowadays the role of spare is filled by Princess Charlotte who is in line to the throne after her brother, Prince George.