Much has been written about King Charles’ rift with his rebellious younger son Prince Harry, but far less has been said about the growing tension with his other son and dutiful heir, Prince William. Yet according to palace insiders, it’s that increasingly fragile relationship that should be of far greater concern for the palace.
“William and Charles’ relationship is at an all-time low. The past few months they’ve only been seen together once a month and it’s strictly performative,” a royal source tells Woman’s Day.
“The rift between them is bigger than ever.”
One major barrier for the King, 77, and William, 44, is their conflicting views about what to do with outcast Harry, with the sentimental monarch open to reconciliation and William refusing to forgive.
“Since Harry’s visit to the UK, things have only worsened between Charles and William, and it doesn’t help that William is every bit as stubborn as his father,” the source says.
At the heart of Charles and William’s friction, however, is their differing approaches to duty – starting with the King’s heavy workload and his heir’s noticeably lighter schedule.
‘REAL TENSION’
“From the King’s perspective, there is a delicate balance to strike between updating the role for a modern era and appearing to step back from the responsibilities that give the monarchy its purpose,” a palace source told Radar.
“When he sees he is pushing through a demanding program of work… while William’s public commitments sometimes look relatively light, it becomes more than just a scheduling issue – it starts to feel like a source of real tension.”
Royal biographer Tina Brown emphasised the apparent disparity between the father and son’s diaries, stating, “After five confirmed family vacations in the past seven months, William’s first‑week‑back diary pulsated with two outings – a father‑daughter excursion to a Women’s Rugby World Cup pool match and a stroll through the Natural History Museum’s new gardens.
“Charles, despite his battle with cancer, has carried out official engagements on 175 days of the past 12 months.”
What’s more, Tina claims father-of-three William’s publicly hands-on approach to parenting can be seen as a slight to His Majesty.
“The King is, I am told, currently less irritated with the prodigal Harry than he is with his elder son and heir,” she says. “Somehow, William’s parenting dedication always seems couched as a tacit criticism of the King’s own paternal deficiencies.”
‘FRUSTRATED’ WILLS
From where William stands, there’s warranted “frustration” at how Charles has handled the ongoing situation with Harry, 41, and his wife Meghan, who have long fallen out of favour with the British public.
“William knows he has to respect the Crown and duty, but he’s struggling,” adds our source. “He sees the mistakes his father’s making, especially with Harry and Meghan.
“Support for the monarchy is at its lowest in 30 years and none of it had to be this way if the King had taken his advice.”
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