Forget Prince Harry. The Real Rift in the Royal Family Might Be Between King Charles and Prince William, Insiders Say
Prince Harry’s fraught relationship with his family might generate a never-ending stream of tabloid headlines. But there’s another royal family rift brewing. And this one could be far more consequential than Harry’s troubled relationship with his father and elder brother.
Prince William’s strained relationship with King Charles
Prince William’s relationship with King Charles has been growing more distant, palace insiders say. The growing gulf between the king and his heir could become so large that it threatens the future of the monarchy, some worry. Now, William’s wife, Kate Middleton, is doing her best to repair the damage before it becomes an even bigger issue.
“Kate knows William only wants what’s best for the monarchy, but the problem is he and Charles have very different views on how to get there,” a source told Closer Weekly.
“The problem with William is that he thinks he knows best,” royal biographer Hugo Vickers recently told Page Six.
William and Charles have a different take on several key issues. The Duke of Cambridge believes his father should take a harder line when it comes to the former Prince Andrew. Andrew’s association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has tarnished the monarchy. William believes he should be cut off, once and for all.
The Prince of Wales also does not see eye-to-eye with the King on the question of Prince Harry. William and Harry have been estranged for years, following the explosive revelations in the latter’s memoir Spare. Charles has also kept his distance from his youngest son, but recently, there’s been a thaw. When Harry and Meghan Markle recently visited the U.K. with their children, Charles and Queen Camilla met with them privately. It was the first time Charles had seen his grandchildren in four years.
The future king believes Charles is making a mistake by trying to have a relationship with Harry.
“Now that Charles has gone against his advice again and has decided to pursue a peace truce with Harry, he’s even more convinced that his father’s judgment is way off,” the source explained to Closer. “He’ll always be respectful in public, but behind closed doors he’s constantly pointing out all the things he would’ve handled differently.”
The insider added that William is now directing some of his anger at Harry towards their father.
“[Kate is] worried now people inside the palace are starting to notice how at odds they are, and her fear is that it won’t be long before the public finds out,” the source explains. “That’s certainly not the message she wants the monarchy to be sending. She just wants him to step back and see the bigger picture before the damage becomes much harder to undo.”
Is Prince Harry exploiting the tension between William and Charles?
Some people with knowledge of the royal family’s inner workings claim that Harry is playing Charles and William off of each other to his own advantage.
“Harry doesn’t just know where the weak spots are—he knows how to use them,” an insider told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack. “He understands exactly where Charles and William see things differently, and he knows how to put them on opposite sides of the same issue. That’s where he has leverage.”
During his recent return to the U.K., Harry knew that people would eat up the idea of an aging grandfather finally reuniting with his young grandchildren. And he was also aware William would be incensed by the coverage.
“Harry knew exactly what the optics would be,” another royal source told Shuter. “A meeting with Charles was always going to infuriate William. Harry understands that his father still thinks like a parent, while William thinks like the future King. Those are two very different mindsets, and Harry knows how to play to both.”
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