
In a rare and emotional gesture, King Charles III has reportedly offered candid advice to his son Prince William, encouraging him to put his family before royal obligations, a move that marks a significant departure from past royal precedent.
This moment of reflection, featured in the recent Channel 5 documentary William and Catherine: Putting Family First, comes as both the King and Princess Kate continue to recover from separate cancer diagnoses.
Kate publicly disclosed her condition in March 2024 and is currently in remission, while Charles has shared that he is now “on the better side” of his own treatment.
Following Kate’s diagnosis, Prince William stepped away from public engagements to support his wife and their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Italian artist uses flares to explore our relationship with robots
That move, which resonated deeply with many observers, was reportedly encouraged by the King himself in a moment of paternal vulnerability.
A monarch’s regrets and a modern royal legacy
According to Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty Magazine, King Charles urged his son not to follow in his footsteps when it came to prioritising duty over personal life.
“Charles said to William, ‘Please don’t make the mistake that I made’ and ‘I want you to enjoy your family life,'” Seward revealed. “
And Charles was very insistent about this because he said, ‘I was so dedicated to duty, I couldn’t make way for family life in the way that I should’ve done’ and that’s what William did.”
This guidance from the monarch may reflect lessons learned from his own upbringing. Charles, like his siblings, was raised largely by nannies as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip remained committed to their royal responsibilities.
The emotional distance in his own childhood appears to have shaped the more empathetic tone he now hopes to pass on.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked closely with Charles between 2004 and 2011, believes this attitude marks a significant shift in royal culture.
“I can absolutely see that there’s been a turning point in his life that I’d never thought I’d witness,” Harrold said. “I think for the first time ever you’ve got a King, who I think deep down if his boys need him, he would probably put them before the crown.”
However, not all of Charles‘ relationships with his children appear to be mending. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry reflected on the emotional distance in his relationship with his father.
“He’d been an older dad, and I’d always felt that this created problems, placed barriers between us,” he wrote.
“In his middle years he’d become more sedentary, more habitual… He wasn’t the kind of father who played endless rounds of tag or tossed a ball until long after dark.”
Harry has also claimed the King currently “won’t speak” to him due to disagreements over security arrangements, though he remains hopeful for reconciliation in the future.
Still, Charles‘ emotional outreach to William shows a more compassionate and personal approach to leadership – one rooted in a desire to build stronger family ties in a role long defined by formality and obligation.
In choosing to champion family first, the monarch may be redefining what it means to wear the crown in the modern era.
This news was originally published on this post .
Be the first to leave a comment