In wake of Prince Philip’s death, Charles spoke fondly of his “dear Papa,” telling reporters: “As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously.”
Although Charles’ words in mourning of Prince Philip were warm, previous claims have described his relationship with his father as much colder. Something, he tried not to repeat with his two sons, William and Harry.
Thus, spurring the now monarch to make a desperate plea to his boys, just hours after the funeral service of Prince Philip on April 17.
Did Charles cry at Prince Philip’s funeral?
In her book My Mother and I, royal biographer Seward revealed that King Charles looked “unconcerned” at Prince Philip’s funeral.
She even claimed only one single tear fell from his eye, reflecting his difficult relationship with his late father.
He learned to do without him.
“Quality love – the presence of continuing availability – was never there for Charles from his father, so he learned to do without him,” Seward claimed.
Despite the day being one of grief, Charles used the moment to “try to be a father himself,” and left Philip’s wake early to plead with his sons, Princes William and Harry.
Prince Harry’s exit from the royal fold
At this time, the royal family were still reeling from Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey where he and his wife Meghan Markle accused the monarchy of mistreatment, explaining his exit from the royal fold and his subsequent move to California in 2020.
Of course, Harry’s claims damaged his relationship with his relatives, especially William and Charles, leaving Harry and William unable to see eye to eye – a problem which Charles is said to have attempted to solve.
Charles “hoped to broker a deal between his warring sons,” Seward explained.
King Charles’ ‘plea’ to William and Harry on day of Prince Philip’s funeral
Charles, William and Harry reportedly spoke near the Gothic Ruin in Frogmore Gardens, on the day of Prince Philip’s funeral.
Prince Harry later detailed this moment in his tell-all memoir, Spare.
He described: “Being British, being Windsors, we began chatting casually about the weather.
“Small talk. The smallest. We touched on all secondary subjects and I kept waiting for us to get to the primary one, wondering why it was taking so long and also how on earth my father and brother could appear so calm.”
He went on to say how they finally broached the topic of Harry’s headlining making interview.
Charles, William and Harry’s discussion after Oprah Winfrey interview
“I tried to explain my side of things,” Harry penned. “Every time I ventured a new explanation, started a new line of thought, one or both of them would cut me off.
It got so heated that Pa raised his hands.
“Willy in particular didn’t want to hear anything. After he’d shut me down several times, he and I began sniping, saying some of the same things we’d said for months – years. It got so heated that Pa raised his hands. ‘Enough!’”
“He stood between us, looking up at our flushed faces: ‘Please, boys – don’t make my final years a misery.’”
Unfortunately, Charles’ desperate plea didn’t seem to break the ice between William and Harry.
Four years on, the brothers are still said to not be on speaking terms.
It also seems Charles and Harry’s relationship is still strained, with Harry arriving in London on Sunday, April 6, and King Charles and Camilla jetting off to Italy just 48 hours later, with no talk of a meeting between father and son.
