Prince William and Prince Charles: A Closer Relationship

The relationship between Prince Charles and Prince William has been a rocky one, especially after the tragic death of Princess Diana in the 90s.

In addition, William had expressed his desire for his father to be more involved in his children's lives, as Charles was often preoccupied with royal duties while William was growing up.

However, since Prince Harry's dramatic royal exit last year, the two seem to have turned a corner and are now more united than ever in their shared destiny as future monarchs.

As the heir apparent, Charles has encouraged William, who is second in line to the throne, to undertake more training to prepare for his next role as the Prince of Wales.

Nonetheless, some believe that the crown should skip Charles and pass straight to his eldest son, as the Cambridges are more popular in the polls.

Although the royals have never addressed these claims, Charles did admit to weeping when he heard William discussing the matter of succession before.

During an ITV documentary in 2019, Prince Charles, Inside the Duchy of Cornwall, Charles was shown a clip of William speaking to a second-generational farmer, Mervyn Keeling, about his intentions with his father's private estate.

William said, “I've started to think about how I will inherit the duchy one day and what I do with it.

I think it's really important, about the family angle, I really do.”

Mr Keeling then mentioned that William has children of his own to pass it on to, to which William agreed.

Charles was moved by what he saw and said, “When I saw it, I couldn't believe it, I was deeply touched and moved by what he said.

Frankly, it reduced me to tears.

It did, really, because I suddenly thought, well, just hearing that from him has made the last 50 years worthwhile.”

Charles has been working on turning the Duchy of Cornwall into a sustainable, financially viable estate of value to the local community.

This year, the two are said to be closer than ever, despite renewed calls for the throne to go straight to William following Harry's critical remarks about his father and Netflix's unflattering, yet fictional, portrayal of Charles in The Crown.

According to Emily Andrews of the Mail on Sunday, over the past two years, the two men have become much closer, their bond much stronger.

This is partly natural as they get older and realise their shared values, as current Prince of Wales and his successor, in protecting the monarchy.

But, also, it has been a necessity as the institution has suffered blows to its reputation.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has reportedly been instrumental in bringing the two men closer as well, even making sure Charles is present for their children's birthdays and key moments.

Kate also took the photograph which caused a stir on social media last year.

In an uncharacteristically intimate pose, Charles was seen leaning on William's shoulder affectionately for Father's Day while his son had his arm around him.

Royal commentator Camilla Tominey claimed that “…the warmth which so obviously zings between father and son seems to signify a laying to rest of the ghosts of William's childhood and any soreness he has felt towards his father after witnessing the traumatic fallout of his parents' separation as a ten-year-old boy.”

An insider also told Woman and Home that Charles “…realises that his own reign will be a shorter one than his son's, and therefore he is keen to give him all the relevant training.”

The two are said to have united in their response towards Harry's latest attacks on his royal upbringing.

During his Tell All CBS special with Oprah, Harry alleged that he felt sorry for his brother and father because they were both “trapped” in the system of the monarchy.

William and Charles reportedly then united to talk to Harry when he returned to the UK briefly for Prince Philip's funeral in April.

However, the Duke of Sussex's subsequent interviews have only worsened relations again, and left both William and Charles reportedly determined to prove they do not feel trapped in their destiny.

In conclusion, the relationship between Prince Charles and Prince William has come a long way since the death of Princess Diana.

The two seem to have turned a corner and are now more united than ever in their shared destiny as future monarchs.