Growing up, Prince William and Prince Harry established a closer relationship with Princess Diana since she did most of the parenting. It left Prince Charles having a more detached relationship with them.
However, a royal commentator recalled how it changed following the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997.
According to Lady Julie Montagu, the Prince of Wales underwent a “monumental change” in parenting Prince William and Prince Harry as he had to raise his two teenage sons alone.
“I think at first, when Prince Charles became a father, he left a lot of the parenting to Princess Diana. We can see that in the hugging, the laughing, the cuddling that she did. After her death, it changes completely,” Lady Montagu said in the documentary “The Queen and Prince Charles: Mother and Son”.
She added that the heir to the throne became very hands-on in parenting — as he had to be.
Meanwhile, former royal butler Grant Harrold — who worked for Prince Charles and his family for several years — described the Prince of Wales as a “very considerate father.”
“He is a fantastic parent. Very caring, very loving and considerate,” Harrold recalled. “As far as where is parenting style came from, the Queen Mother would have given him some pointers and advice.”
Because of his close relationship with the Queen Mother, he might have drawn inspiration from her and King George VI, who were also focused on raising Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.
In addition, Prince Charles repeatedly admitted that he felt “distant” from Queen Elizabeth II during his childhood and called Queen Mother as “everything to him”.
What Kept Him Busy To Be A Father?
Prince Charles’ previous detachment from his two sons was not because it was what he wanted. Unfortunately, his work as the heir apparent took much of his time with William and Harry.
“It is a slightly tricky relationship, because Charles has always been quite a remote figure, he has always been consumed by work,” royal biographer Penny Junor told the Daily Beast.
Junor added that the detachment was not a product of lack of love. Instead, it was because of Prince Charles’ too much focus on his work that made him overlook his loved ones and friends.
Prince Charles was not totally “an absentee,” though. Sometimes, he would take his family on his farm at Broadfield and Balmoral, the royal family’s estate in Scotland.
Moreover, Prince Harry acknowledged his father’s efforts during his interview in the BBC documentary “Diana, 7 Days.” Although Prince Harry questioned Prince Charles’ decision to let him be part of Princess Diana’s funeral procession (which was undoubtedly traumatic for a 12-year-old child), he tried to understand him as his son.
“[Our dad] was there for us – he was the one out of two left, and he tried to do his best and to make sure that we were protected and looked after,” he added. “But he was going through the same grieving process as well.”