The relationship between father and son has not always been plain sailing. Prince Harry’s claims about what King Charles was like as a father when he was younger have been disputed this week, with a Palace source now shedding light on what life was like behind-the-scenes for the family. In his 2023 memoir Spare, The Duke of Sussex painted his father in not the most complimentary way, suggesting he could be cold and distant.
However, these claims have now been questioned, especially since Prince Edward’s ex-girlfriend Ruthie Henshall revealed in her own memoir,
The Showgirl And The Prince, that Charles seemed very affectionate with his sons. She wrote specifically about a moment at Balmoral Castle when she came across Charles playing games with Harry and William. Now, a Palace insider has also revealed what King Charles was really like as a father to Harry and William growing up, further disputing Harry’s claims.
King Charles and Prince Harry have not had the smoothest-sailing relationship (Image: LOIC VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images)
A royal source exclusively told RadarOnline: “Nobody is trying to tell Harry that his memories of childhood are wrong. Those are his experiences, and he is entitled to explain how certain moments made him feel.
“But his recollections aren’t the only firsthand accounts of what Charles was like as a father when William and Harry were growing up.
“There were people around the family who witnessed a much warmer and more playful side of Charles than the emotionally distant figure readers might take away from parts of Spare.
.”Behind closed doors, Charles could be incredibly affectionate with the boys. There was laughter, chasing around corridors, physical play, and those ordinary moments between a father and his children that the public rarely had any opportunity to see.”
Harry said in his memoir that Charles was not always affectionate (Image: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)
In response to Harry’s claims that the King “had trouble communicating, trouble listening, trouble being intimate face-to-face”, the source also said that this was likely down to the environment Charles himself had been raised in.
They wrote: “Charles was also raised in an environment and generation where emotions weren’t necessarily expressed through long conversations or constant verbal reassurance.
“He could undoubtedly be reserved and awkward about discussing feelings, but people who knew the family would argue that shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as meaning he didn’t demonstrate love in other ways.”
Over the last few years, Harry and Charles have not had the easiest relationship. However, this is believed to be slowly changing, with the father-and-son having reunited at Highgrove last month.
