Inside King Charles’ relationship with sons Prince William and Prince Harry

The royal family is currently going through a tough time with King Charles’ cancer diagnosis and the Princess of Wales recuperating from abdominal surgery.

Charles has the support of his family, with his wife Queen Camilla by his side as he stays at Sandringham amid treatment.

The King is father to Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry, 39. While Charles’ bond with William has grown closer in recent years, his relationship with younger son, Harry, is much more complicated.

But the Duke of Sussex’s reunion with Charles at Clarence House earlier this week has sparked hopes of a reconciliation.

HELLO!‘s Royal Editor Emily Nash opened up about why Prince Harry’s efforts would have meant much to His Majesty on the latest episode of HELLO’s A Right Royal Podcast…

The King and the Duke’s relationship became severely strained following Harry’s decision to step down as a working royal in 2020 and air a catalogue of grievances against the institution of the monarchy and members of his family in a series of interviews.

The Duke’s controversial memoir Spare further damaged his ties with his father and brother, making claims William physically attacked him, the King put his own interests above Harry’s and was jealous of the Duchess of Sussex.

In a television interview to promote the book when published last January, Harry revealed the state of his relationship with Charles and William, saying he was currently “not texting” his brother and at the time had not spoken to his father for “quite a while”.

Prior to his meeting with his father this week, Harry was last reunited with the royal family at the King’s coronation last May.

Harry also reportedly phoned his father on his 75th birthday last November to wish him well.

© Getty

Meanwhile, royal author Robert Hardman talks about the King and Prince William’s relationship in his latest book, Charles III.

He wrote: “As has been noted earlier, the Prince of Wales’s relationship with the King has been strengthened by the twin burdens of their new roles and periodic broadsides from California. Also, the more that the heir to the throne becomes involved in the running of the Duchy of Cornwall and the royal estates, the more he has come to appreciate his father’s dedication and his achievements over the years.”

© Getty

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the coronation captured a touching moment between the monarch and his heir during rehearsals at Westminster Abbey.

As William practises paying homage, he tickles Charles’ cheek after first kissing his right cheek then deciding: “Your left cheek is better.”

© Getty

Last year, broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth also shared a rare insight into the King’s relationship with his sons.

In an issue of Saga magazine, Gyles said that the King is a big fan of Radio 4’s Just A Minute comedy panel game, which began in 1967 and was hosted for more than 50 years by Nicholas Parsons.

Gyles added: “In fact, he told me he used to leave voicemail messages for William and Harry in the style of Just a Minute, doing his best to say what he had to say in under 60 seconds, without hesitation, deviation or repetition.”