Does Prince Charles Spend a Lot of Time With Prince William and Prince Harry?

Have you ever wondered just how close Prince William and Prince Harry are with their father Prince Charles? We know the two princes were very tight with their mother, Princess Diana, before she died tragically in 1997 but since then people have been questioning what their relationship is like with their dad.

The questions really came up after how the palace handled the princess’ death. It’s also been reported over the years that William and Harry never got along with their dad’s second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, who he cheated on Diana with. Here’s what we know about the relationship between this father and his sons and how much time he really spends with them.

Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry | Tim Rooke-Pool/Getty Images

Reports of a strained relationship

Talk of a strained relationship between the two younger princes and their father resurfaced in Septemeber 2018 when a source spoke about the princes to the Daily Beast.

“They are very different people and they just don’t get on. It’s as simple as that. They rarely see each other outside of official business,” the insider said, adding that Charles “hates” William and Harry’s “emoting” in public.

The piece also claimed that the princes’ dad is jealous of  William’s popularity being greater than his own. “The fact that polls routinely show that two-thirds of Britons would rather have William and Kate as their king and queen than Charles and Camilla has always been a source of tension between the two camps.”

Prince Charles responds to claim

Prince William, Prince Charles and Prince Harry | John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Charles was so unhappy with the report that he issued a statement of denial.

Such statements made by the royal household are rare. The family usually does not respond to any tabloid gossip or what is written about their private lives in the media. For example, the strongest statement from the royals when Meghan Markle’s family repeatedly tried to get a reaction out of them was silence so a denial from the prince is a change in protocol.

Clarence House, which is the public communications channel for Prince Charles, told The Express that the claims made about the Prince of Wales not getting along and spending time with his sons are “complete fiction.”

A good relationship today

Prince Charles and Meghan Markle | JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images

The fact that Clarence House responded to the report has caused some to think that perhaps it could have been true. However, there has also been evidence recently, especially with Prince Harry, that if there was any bad blood today it’s gone.

Prince Charles’ relationship these days with his youngest son is said to be very good thanks to his daughter-in-law who the Duke of Cornwall is reportedly fond of. Harry said he was extremely appreciative when his father stepped in to walk Markle down the aisle.

Days after the royal wedding, the Duke of Sussex delivered a speech honoring his father at a ceremony for Charles’ 70th birthday.

“Who has not come away from a meeting with my father, their head spinning with a dozen new ideas which he wants to get underway urgently, having met a group of people or read something that has fired his imagination and started the flow of ideas,” Harry said. “His enthusiasm and energy are truly infectious; it has certainly inspired William and I to get involved in issues we care passionately about and to do whatever we can to make a difference. In fact, many of the issues William and I now work on are subjects we were introduced to by our father growing up.”

Charles also reportedly spent a great deal of time with Harry and Markle over the summer months at the royal family’s Castle of Mey in Scotland, where they read, walked dogs, and talked.

Read more: How Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Lives Will Change Once Prince Charles Becomes King

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