Prince Harry’s 2 Stinging Words About Camilla Parker Bowles Blew ‘Any Chance of Reconciliation’ With King Charles, Says Royal Commentator
Of all the remarks Prince Harry made regarding the royal family in his autobiography Spare, some struck a chord within the House of Windsor more strongly than others. A royal commentator believes that Harry’s two cutting words regarding Camilla Parker Bowles blew “any chance of reconciliation” with King Charles in the future. What did Harry say that hurt Charles so profoundly? Here are the details.
Prince Harry’s two negative words about Camilla Parker Bowles were reportedly unforgivable to King Charles
Royal commentator Daniela Elser provided remarks regarding the fractured relationship between King Charles and his youngest son, Prince Harry. The king of the United Kingdom was reportedly hurt by many statements Harry made in his autobiography Spare.
However, some of Harry’s commentary was more difficult to hear than others says Elser. Charles reportedly found two of his remarks unforgivable.
“For more than 30 years, Charles has been wholly devoted to Camilla, a woman who knows her way around a pair of wellies, an Aga, and a decent bottle of shiraz,” Elser began. “His [Charles] fidelity to his horsey paramour having extended to going against his mother, his family, and his homeland at various points in time.”
She continued, “There is a certain romance to it all if you think about it. It might not seem it, but theirs is quite the love story.”
Elser wrote that this deep affection for Camilla caused Charles to react strongly to Harry’s remarks. “Which is why, when His Majesty read those two blasted words ‘wicked stepmother,’ his son would seem to have crossed the Rubicon.
“He crossed a line in the sand that dealt a disastrous blow to any chance of reconciliation and a regal hug coming Harry’s way any time soon,” Elser concluded.
Charles was ‘devastated’ by Harry’s stinging remarks
Elser referenced a story published by The Daily Beast, which claims reconciliation between Charles, Camilla, and Harry may take a long time to happen. The publication claims Harry’s harsh words deeply hurt the king.
“How does she get past that? It’s one thing to call your stepmother a b**** privately or in a family argument. But to put it in a book catching up with the Bible on sales? I think Harry knew exactly what he was doing, and the result is predictable,” said a friend of Camilla’s to The Daily Beast.
“Charles loves Camilla. He made her queen. He doesn’t react very well to criticism of her,” they continued.
Harry also reiterated his claims against Camilla in a CBS News interview with Anderson Cooper to promote his book. His remarks aired during a special 60 Minutes segment.
There may be a secondary reason King Charles hesitates to reconcile with Prince Harry
While it appears some of King Charles’ hurt toward Harry may stem from his criticism of Camilla, there are other reasons why he may continue to pull back from his youngest son. Royal commentator Daniela Elser believes there is fear of secondary retribution in a second book from the Duke of Sussex.
Elser wrote, “Even if Charles was in mind to overlook the grievous slight that Harry had done to his darling wife’s reputation by casting her as Snow White’s evil queen sans apple, there is another key factor preventing His Majesty or anyone with an HRH picking up the phone with the Sussexes. It could all end up as fodder for a future bestseller.”
Harry once said there could have been two books about his life. He claimed that the details he purposely left out would be unforgivable to royal family members.
However, Elser believes there is a “tiny glimmer of hope” that relations may shift between the Duke of Sussex and King Charles someday. “Hugs might be shared, and American grandchildren bounced on a regal knee,” she wrote.
“Inside Charles and Camilla’s private quarters, even now, there are reportedly still photos of the entire Sussex family in prime position,” she explained. However, there are no clear answers on how the family plans to move forward from a very tumultuous 2023.
Elements of this story were first reported by Deadline.
