A royal insider has claimed Prince William is “very aware” of King Charles’ past missteps and is determined not to make the same errors, especially after the King’s recent meeting with Prince Harry reportedly backfired.
William notably avoided seeing his younger brother during Harry’s high-profile trip to the UK last week, with relations between the siblings said to be at rock bottom.
A Different Approach to Sensitive Matters
Royal author Valentine Low suggested that William takes a much more careful approach to delicate issues compared to his father. While Charles, as Prince of Wales, occasionally drew criticism for veering into political territory, William has made a point of steering clear of such controversies.
“William is very different from his father, and I think essentially, William is very aware of what he regards as mistakes his father has made, and he’s not going to repeat them,” Low told GB News.
He pointed to William’s recent homelessness initiative as an example of his caution. “You can see that in the way that when William launched his homelessness initiative, he went out of his way to clear it with ministers beforehand, to make sure that he wasn’t treading on any political toes,” Low added.
By contrast, Charles once angered members of Tony Blair’s government when he penned an article on genetically modified food in the Daily Mail.
Harry’s Short Meeting With the King
King Charles and Prince Harry met for the first time in over 18 months at Clarence House in London. The Duke of Sussex spent just under an hour with his father, reportedly bringing along photos and videos of his children, who have not seen their grandfather in years.
Harry left around 6.15pm to attend a reception connected to his Invictus Games foundation. At first, the visit was hailed as a breakthrough in the strained father-son relationship.
Old Wounds Resurface
Days later, however, Harry reignited tensions in an interview with The Guardian. While the article focused on his trip to Ukraine in support of veterans, the Duke used the opportunity to revisit his family rift.
He defended his memoir, Spare, insisting: “One point of view had been put out, and it needed to be corrected. I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear. It is not about revenge, it is about accountability.”
Harry also made a pointed remark that many interpreted as a jab at Prince William: “You cannot have reconciliation before you have truth.”
In the same interview, Harry hinted at worries about his father’s condition, saying his “focus really has to be on my dad” in the coming year, suggesting he hopes to see King Charles more often.