Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced in 1996 after his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles was revealed. The Prince of Wales was hated for his infidelity that even after his ex-wife’s death in 1997, his unpopularity soared. They had two sons — Prince William and Prince Harry — and with how he treated the princes’ mother, people believe that he is a bad father as well.
However, people around Prince Charles think differently as they see him as a caring dad who is there for his sons when they needed him most. Prince William and Prince Harry also attested how the future king did his duties to them as their father.
When Princess Diana died, it was Prince Charles who told the princes about the news. Now that they are grown-ups, Prince William and Harry realized how hard the task was for their dad. He did his best to calmly tell them, and that somehow made it easier for them to accept their mother’s demise.
“One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died,” Prince Harry said in the BBC documentary. “How you deal with that, I don’t know.”
At that time, Prince Charles was also heavily criticized when his sons walked behind Princess Diana’s coffin during the funeral procession. Prince William said that it was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” and people were furious as it appears that the brothers were forced to take part in the procession. In the documentary, Prince Harry recalled that moment and defended his dad for the decision to make him and his brother follow their mother’s cortege.
“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,” the prince said. “But he was going through the same grieving process as well.”
He added that looking back, he is glad that he has been part of that funeral procession. Prince Charles clearly protected his sons in their most difficult time. But the public did not know this, so they just know him according to how the media painted him as a father.
Royal biographer Penny Junor also wrote on Telegraph that Prince Charles always took his sons’ feeling and needs into consideration whenever he needs to make a decision. The biographer said that Princess Diana’s ex-husband was “always sensitive” to Harry and William’s feelings, especially when it comes to Camilla.
When it became apparent that his oldest son did not want to know about her, he did not introduce the princes to his future wife until they are ready. Prince William then asked his father for an introduction a year later, and since then things are good between him and Camilla.
Prince Charles may not have been a hands-on father to Prince William and Harry while they were growing up, but he really loves them and will do anything for them. He may have done some bad things before, but he is truly a good father to his sons. And his kids love him back just the same.
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