The Prince of Wales speaks nothing but praise about King Charles and it’s been suggested that after having a “complex” bond in William’s early years, the royal father and son reached a “turning point” in their relationship over a decade ago. In William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers reveals that sources close to the Prince believe the moment he “began to grow his own family” as a huge influence.
“While William’s bond with his father throughout his childhood and adolescence may be described as complex, those close to him will relay that as both men have matured it has evolved into one founded on mutual respect and understanding,” Russell claims.
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It seems that becoming a parent himself gave the Prince of Wales a different, more sympathetic perspective on what King Charles faced as someone who was a father and first in the royal line of succession. Throughout his marriage and divorce from Princess Diana, he was under a lot of scrutiny and pressure.
Whilst His Majesty might not have had the space and time to be the kind of parent Prince William is, he ensured his son could focus on his family before embracing full-time royal life. Russell writes, “William also recognises how his father allowed him, with the late Queen’s blessing, to seek a life outside of the institution for longer than he had been permitted himself.”
The Prince of Wales apparently has a “growing appreciation” of the issues King Charles has “had to deal with in his life” and values his “love and guidance throughout his darkest times”.
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Becoming a dad has seemingly changed William and Charles’s bond for the better, as it’s shown the Prince exactly how tough parenting as the heir to the throne can be. Seeing things from the other side can be enlightening and Prince William has been very open about how he and Kate focus on balancing royal duties and family life.
Asked by Eugene Levy on Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler if his job is 9-5, he replied, “It doesn’t quite work like that. But I do try to stick to school timetables as much as possible, so most days we’re in and out of school doing drop offs and pick ups. Getting the balance of work and family life right is really important.”
Intriguingly, the future King also touched upon his own childhood in a very measured way, acknowledging both the “warmth” of it, and the impact of his parents’ divorce.
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“I think it’s really important that that atmosphere is created at home, you have to have that feeling of warmth, security, love that all has to be there,” he explained. “And that was certainly part of my childhood. My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time but you take that and you learn from it, and you try not to do the same mistakes as your parents.”
Thanks to King Charles and Queen Elizabeth, the Prince and Princess of Wales have more time to devote to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis and can prioritise creating that “relatively normal” home life for them. It could be said that the “turning point” has helped not only King Charles and William, but the next generation too.
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