Relationships between Members of the British Royal Family

[MARG]

I've never thought that Harry had too bad a relationship with Charles anyway. The two of them have usually seemed to be quite comfortable together. However, if Meghan herself becomes close to Charles that will be lovely and add an extra element.

I think they have a typical father/son relationship. Interestingly I remember a speech Harry made a couple of years ago (can't quite remember when) and he talked about sustainability and he sounded just like his father on that topic. I guess growing up at Highgrove was a learning experience as well as just home. The family is important and nobody can take their place and if the Sussexes both get along with Charles and Camilla, that is a very good thing.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

I don't think it would take a crystal ball to guess that Margaret would not take to Meghan....

Well my guess is that Meghan (now HRH the Duchess of Sussex) can actually charm anyone, including Princess Margaret if she was still alive. I also think that some of the portrayals and characterizations of Princess Margaret's peccadillos and personality do not take into account her positive attributes and her vulnerabilities.

 

[Stefan]

I think Eugenie and Jack are going to have a more relaxed weekend. So expect all the kids.

I think they can havew as many relaxed weekends as they want.

 

[Mbruno]

Meghan healing anything is pretty much bull crap written by people who still believe Charles was a bad dad. Regarding James it would be so cute if he got sent his own personal invitation so he would be allowed to go. And if he is 10 now then he was 3 when Will and Kate got married, definitely too young to attend.

I believe Charles was a “ bad parent”, as were BTW Queen Elizabeth II, King George V, Queen Victoria, Queen Margarethe Ii of Denmark, King Albert Ii of the Belgians, and countless other royal parents. The type of “ loving parenting” that we see today e.g. with Victoria and Daniel, Frederik and Mary, or even with Maxima , is a relatively new phenomenon really in royal circles.

 

[Osipi]

In times past, as far as the adults were concerned, children were to be seen and not heard. Nannies and governesses and boarding schools were the norm and interactions between parents and their children weren't as "hands on" as we see a lot of royal parents have in today's world.

I am of the belief that Charles has always been very close to both of his sons and has participated in their upbringing as much as he possibly could have. This is an area where even though the relationship between parents was acrimonious, it was an area they both agreed on. The public, being involved as much as possible in the back and forth in the parents' tribulations, saw one parent with her sons as much as possible and it was played out in the press. The other parent kept his private life with his sons private. He kept his relationship with his sons between them and not blazoned in full color to the world. Perhaps even the best result of doing this is what gave his sons respite from the public world around them. They learned the importance of keeping their private lives away from the glaring press while also living with an excellent example of the duties and rigors or responsibility that surrounds being a senior working members of the British royal family.

In many regards, I see Charles as the most positive influence on his sons and through all those years of caring and nurturing, raised two strong boys into men that will end up being more than prepared to step into their father's shoes when the time comes and do the same for their children.

 

[Curryong]

Diana though had no country house for the boys to be hidden away in, while Charles had the advantage of having access not just to Highgrove but to Sandringham and Balmoral too.

Diana compensated by taking the boys on tropical holidays and trip to Disneyland etc, which they seemed to have enjoyed very much. She loved and nurtured her sons until their teens when she died, much too soon. William was fifteen when his mother died. At that age your character and personality are pretty well set. Harry was younger, but as he has said, he misses her still.

 

[Osipi]

I didn't mean to insinuate that Charles was a better parent than Diana was but rather totally different in his approach to parenting. This is the reason why I believe that William and Harry did get the best of both worlds. All too often when there's an acrimonious divorce between parents, the kids are kind of shuffled off to the side. This never happened with these boys.

 

[Nico]

Will and Harry obviously love and respect their father very much. Harry basically said it PUBLICLY some weeks ago ...

 

[Lumutqueen]

I believe Charles was a “ bad parent”, as were BTW Queen Elizabeth II, King George V, Queen Victoria, Queen Margarethe Ii of Denmark, King Albert Ii of the Belgians, and countless other royal parents. The type of “ loving parenting” that we see today e.g. with Victoria and Daniel, Frederik and Mary, or even with Maxima , is a relatively new phenomenon really in royal circles.

I think it’s the wrong choice of word to say “bad” parenting. All those people you mentioned “parented” how they thought was correct. Diana was softer on her children but that’s also not necessarily a “good” thing. Children need the right amount of balance in parenting. The current crop of younger monarchs and crown princes are raising their children differently to how they were raised, partly due to the experiences they had and partly down to the change in society in general.

 

[bethaliz6894]

I believe Charles was a “ bad parent”, as were BTW Queen Elizabeth II, King George V, Queen Victoria, Queen Margarethe Ii of Denmark, King Albert Ii of the Belgians, and countless other royal parents. The type of “ loving parenting” that we see today e.g. with Victoria and Daniel, Frederik and Mary, or even with Maxima , is a relatively new phenomenon really in royal circles.

I feel the only BAD parent is a parent that doesn't love their children. You have no way of knowing if Charles loved his boys are not. Really unfair of you to say such a comment. If there were reports of physical abuse or mental abuse, then maybe you could say Charles may have been bad. But I have never heard of Charles abusing his boys in anyway. All the information we have shows him loving his boys in the eye of the public. You have no idea what went on behind closed doors.

Because he didn't live his life with his boys the way you felt he should, doesn't make him bad.

Sorry but this comment really upset me. Parents are giving such a hard time nowadays. People feel parents should parent on public opinion and not what the parent feels is best for their family. Mom's get beaten down if they work, then another group beats them down cause they stay at home. No one takes into consideration what is best for the family which can only be decided by the parents of the child.

 

[MARG]

I think parents perceived as "distant" are often absolutely not. One of the things that Diana and Charles agreed on was education and that meant boarding school. Take Eton for example, relationships, lifelong friendships are made and built on in such place and keeping the kids home and going to day school exposes them to the media on a daily basis.

 

[Pranter]

I think they agreed about being hands on parents and the education aspects. Probably not too much they disagreed about when it came to the boys. Their issues were interpersonal.


LaRae

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

William seems to be copying Charles example and keeping his time with his kids private. I wonder if Harry will do the same considering they both don't like the press/photographers.

 

[M. Payton]

I think it’s the wrong choice of word to say “bad” parenting. All those people you mentioned “parented” how they thought was correct. Diana was softer on her children but that’s also not necessarily a “good” thing. Children need the right amount of balance in parenting. The current crop of younger monarchs and crown princes are raising their children differently to how they were residues partly due to the experiences they had and partly down to the change in society in general.

Thank You Lumutqueen for that is a very thoughtful and insightful comment in how the young royals today are preparing their children for the future duties that will come their way when they become adults. IMHO I think Sweden is doing a fabulous job with Princess Estelle and then Denmark. I think a lot of this is the way these young royals today have seen serious issues within their own families that make they more in tune with the public and more weary of the media. All children be they royal or not should have a chance at being a child and from that they learn to grow into more mature adults. ?

 

[jacqui24]

William seems to be copying Charles example and keeping his time with his kids private. I wonder if Harry will do the same considering they both don't like the press/photographers.

Won’t be surprised if we see them even less.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Will and Harry obviously love and respect their father very much. Harry basically said it PUBLICLY some weeks ago ...

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

 

[Nico]

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

I didn't see any accusation from Williiam and Harry towards their father last year. Charles was understandabely quite dicreet during the anniversary of the death of the late Princess of Wales, but the boys pointed out that "he was there for us".

https://www.metro.news/william-queen-felt-torn-after-mum-died/719275/

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/844600/diana-death-bbc-documentary-funeral-royal-family-grief

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

Talk about seeing what you want to see

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I think they agreed about being hands on parents and the education aspects. Probably not too much they disagreed about when it came to the boys. Their issues were interpersonal.

LaRae

You are right..I have foggy memories of Diana even admitting that she and Charles were basically on the same page as far as bringing up the boys.

At least until they separated and declared all out war.

 

[Pranter]

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

I don't know that they were just talking about the BRF or their father...I tend to think they were more referring to some of her family too AND the powers that be (or were at the time) for the lack of support.

I'm sure they (Charles and the boys) hashed all that out between them years ago. Yes we all know Diana did not get much support...we know that steps were taken to ensure future royals wives got tons more support.

You can love your parent(s) and recognize they made bad choices in their marriage etc. It doesn't mean they hate him or don't get on with him etc.

I think the counseling Harry had has helped all of them.



LaRae

 

[Mbruno]

Will and Harry obviously love and respect their father very much. Harry basically said it PUBLICLY some weeks ago ...

And he also complained publicly in a recent interview that he didn’t get enough support from his family -after his mother’s tragic fate. Obviously his family also includes his father.

 

[jacqui24]

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

What they accused or what people want to think they are insinuating for saying something else? It's the same thing when people jumped to conclusion that Harry was accusing Charles of not being there when he said William encouraged him to get help. It's ridiculous. They can say something nice about other without it being a jab at their father.

The 20th anniversary was obviously tough for Charles and Camilla as every time Diana is mentioned, the public like to drudge up the past again. William and Harry obviously wouldn't have done all they did in her memory last summer without the support of higher ups at the Palace. They all knew that Charles would take a temporary hit. However, I think Charles ultimately recognizes that his sons just wanted to honor their mother now that they are both finally old enough to have a different view of her life and legacy. William has said that it's unlikely they'll talk about her this publicly as sons again. I think in a way, that was a form a of closure for them. It was to honor their mother, and not to dishonor their father. Moving forward, they work to support Charles in his role as heir to the throne and eventually King, I don't think we'll see the same thing again in another ten years.

And btw, parent and child relationship comes in different ways. A child might have a different dynamic with one parent than other and it could still be different than the relationship other children experiences. For example, Diana took the boys to McDonald's when they are little, and Charles didn't really understand that. That's the type of thing that Diana did with the boys. However, as we've seen with Harry and Charles' BBC interview, they discuss and do other things together. Doesn't mean one is better than other. Just different. And a child can give praise to one parent without it being a shade at the other. And lastly, ALL parents make mistakes with their children at one point or another. Doesn't mean they are bad parents.

I don't follow William much, so I'm not going to speak to that. What I do know is that every time I've seen Harry with Charles, they seem to be genuinely happy to see each other. Obviously, given they are grown adults and have independent lives, we wouldn't see them that often in public carrying out engagements together, but when we do see them, they seem to have a warm relationship. That warmth isn't just between Charles and Harry, but also extends to between their wives.

 

[Nico]

And he also complained publicly in a recent interview that he didn’t get enough support from his family -after his mother’s tragic fate. Obviously his family also includes his father.

Link please ?

 

[wyevale]

It is unthinkable that the Duke of Sussex would have asked his father to accompany the Woman he loves up the aisle at his wedding had he retained any real sense of resentment toward him.
As an adult perspectives mature, and one becomes able to 'take things into account' regarding the behaviour of others, in a way that is impossible when one is young...

 

[sndral]

Nothing like beginning to make your own parenting 'mistakes' (William) or being on the eve of doing so (Harry) to open your eyes to the possibility that your own parents maybe weren't as bad as you thought at the time
I have to believe that watching the dysfunction of the Markle clan unfold may have brought a new appreciation to a number of Windsors about their own family and upbringing, as imperfect as it may be or have been.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

But you can't believe what they say publicly.

Last year they twice accused their father and the rest of the BRF for not giving them any support when their mother died.

They say what they have to say in public and can't be believed due to the fact that they contradict themselves about their father all the time.

They said the Queen and their father shielded them from the immediate hysteria and public grief after their mother's death as much as they could.

Harry also said he shut down his emotions and wouldn't talk about it (losing his mother and his grief) until fairly recently. You can't force someone to accept help processing their emotions.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...elded-us-from-public-grief-after-dianas-death
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/prince-harry-shut-emotions-mothers-death/story?id=46833742

I don't believe Charles was/is a bad father nor do I believe he has a cold relationship with either of his sons. I'm sure they have disagreements at times just like all families do.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Link please ?

There were three documentaries last year on Diana's death that the princes did - in the first two they said they were given no support from within the family.

In the third - shown months later - Harry backtracked.

That is why they can't be believed.

They say opposite things depending on the interview and occasion.

Try googling the documentaries on Diana's 20th anniversary and listen for yourself.

They were blatant in complaining about lack of support. It even got so bad that William was forced to undertake an engagement with Charles to show that he actually spent time with his father.

 

[Nico]

There were three documentaries last year on Diana's death that the princes did - in the first two they said they were given no support from within the family.

In the third - shown months later - Harry backtracked.

That is why they can't be believed.

They say opposite things depending on the interview and occasion.

Try googling the documentaries on Diana's 20th anniversary and listen for yourself.

They were blatant in complaining about lack of support. It even got so bad that William was forced to undertake an engagement with Charles to show that he actually spent time with his father.

If indeed the boys claimed that they were given no support within the family, it would have been HUGE media wise. The problem is that i don't' remember such a claim and i didn't find any article about it. In fact quite the contrary :

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...elded-us-from-public-grief-after-dianas-death

The thing i remember is that there was some serious Charles bashing because he was not mentioned and that Harry, at the end, had to add that he was, indeed, here for them.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-royals-diana-idUSKCN1B317R

For the record i'm quite puzzled by the fact that some people still would prefer another Family feud royal edition than a family at peace. If the words can't be trusted, apparently, in some circles, at least body language doesn't lie. And thankfully we had plenty of evidence lately of a close father/son relationship.

But of course they are "acting" don't they ? (pretty good actors with that).

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Anyone listen to Harry interview his dad on a radio show? I never got to listen to it but apparently it was cute. People who dislike Charles will see what they want when it comes to his kids and grandkids.

 

[MARG]

To see them as grown men now is terrific and one of the sweetest moments in Harry and Meghan's wedding was Harry saying "thanks Pa" as he went to take his seat after escorting Meghan through the Quire.