Prince William’s Relationship With Charles Despite Claims Diana ‘Poisoned’ His Mind Against His Father

Prince Charles is a notably dedicated person, being one of the busiest members of the royal family, handling half a thousand engagements per year. His dedication to his work is not new, and as noted by royal biographer Penny Junor, the Prince of Wales “has always been consumed by work.” This put a strain on his family — describing Charles as a “remote figure” — turning his relationship with his eldest son, Prince William, to be “slightly tricky.”

According to biographer Andrew Morton’s book “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words,” Charles’ marital problems with Diana made him unpopular to his children, further worsening the rift in their family. Things became very ugly for the couple, leading to their inevitable divorce. “At home, the battlegrounds were their children and Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles,” noted Morton.

Tom Bower wrote in his unauthorized biography of Charles, titled “Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion And Defiance Of Prince Charles,” that after the divorce, Charles’ relationship with his children — particularly with William — was almost irreparable. “Diana had poisoned the boys’ minds towards their father,” believed Charles, as told by Bower.

In a more recent article, their relationship was noted to be in an even worse place today, with the Prince of Wales rumored to be in a “Cold War” with his two sons. However, this was actually proven to be false, after Clarence House released a statement denying the whole issue.

Prince Charles may have had a difficult time with his eldest son after his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles had gone public, which William reportedly had trouble accepting. However, Charles was always sensitive about his feelings, not forcing hin to accept Camilla right away, waiting for him to come to terms with the situation.

Charles was also noted to be a very sweet and thoughtful father, making his presence felt by his children even as they grew up. In one humorous instance, William shared when his father attended one of the plays he participated in. He recalled hearing Charles in a fit of laughter over some blunders in the play.

Charles was also reported to be in constant contact with William and Harry while they were in boarding school. However, the two found their father’s letters ineligible because of his poor penmanship.

The Prince of Wales is very proud of his sons. For instance, at the opening reception of the International Wildlife Trade Conference, he publicly announced how proud he is of William.

“I can only say here how proud I am of the role my elder son, William, has played as a leader in this area, helping to raise the issue higher up the global agenda, including working with the Chinese Government on the introduction of the ivory ban,” he said.

William, on the other hand, proves that his relationship with his father is much better, especially after saying that he wishes that Charles were around more often. “I would like him to have more time with the children,” William said.

“Having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to, you know, play around with the grandchildren. When he’s there, he’s brilliant,” he added.