The Royal Prince who arrived this week is set for a lifetime of expectation, but assuming there are no constitutional changes in the next 50 years, he can be sure of attaining the ultimate prize of becoming King. By contrast, those anointed early for political greatness don’t tend to fare so well.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has long been on many Westminster watchers’ “rising star” lists, thanks in no small part to his telegenic charisma. Last week saw a fresh outbreak of Umunna-hype with a glowing FT profile piece. As a compelling backstory and endorsements from a variety of Labour grandees continue to take root, Umunna’s trajectory could well land him at the top of his party. However, the political battlefield is littered with the bodies of those once tipped as “potential future leaders”.

Part of the problem is that many political up-and-comers quickly end up with little to distinguish them, other than the fact they have been tipped for greatness. Any feeling that a much-hyped colleague has not “paid their dues” can quickly breed resentment among those that any leadership candidate needs to win over. For instance, David Miliband’s status as a back-office architect of New Labour helped him climb the ministerial ladder rapidly – but when he eventually stood for leader many thought he had not done enough to win over the rank and file. The rest (and, perhaps, his career in UK politics) is history. Likewise, the speed with which Michael Portillo activated and deactivated a campaign machine in 1995 did little to dispel thoughts that he was interested in his own fortunes more than those of his party.

More often than not, those with careers based entirely around future leadership prospects have lost out to rivals whose stars were burnished as a result of tangible successes. So in the early 1990s, long-time Labour leadership favourite Gordon Brown was forced to give way to Tony Blair, who had recently captured the mood of the nation as an empathic shadow home secretary. And the aforementioned Portillo eventually lost out to Iain Duncan Smith – true-blue hero of the backbench Maastricht rebels.

This trend could mean that some of Chuka Umunna’s peers among Labour’s 2010 Commons intake may be better bets for future leader. Experienced economist Rachel Reeves has won high regard for the forensic manner in which she has attacked coalition spending policy as shadow chief secretary. Energetic campaigner Stella Creasy has shown what can be done from the opposition backbenches by taking on the payday-loan industry. And former soldier Dan Jarvis has won respect for his calm and disciplined tenure on the shadow Culture team.

It may well turn out that Chuka Umunna can ride the momentum all the way to the pinnacle of the Labour Party – and perhaps even Number 10. But without the pre-ordained destiny that the young Prince of Cambridge enjoys, he would do well to score plenty of wins, and friends, in the meantime.