Prince William and Harry apparently didn't get much parenting from Prince Charles when they were growing up because the Prince of Wales' focus was more on pursuing his paramour, Camilla Parker Bowles. This was the accusation implied in the book Battle of Brothers from author Robert Lacey.
Lacey recently spoke in the podcast Royally Obsessed and expounded on his implications in his book. The author said that because of Prince Charles' absence in his sons' life, William and Harry grew closer together and depended on each other.
That bond remained strong even as William married Kate Middleton. Harry was allegedly only happy to be the third wheel in this dynamic.
It's not the first time Prince Charles' parenting skills have been criticized. Royal commentator Penny Junor also said that the Prince of Wales was a remote dad to his two boys after Princess Diana died.
Junor, however, said that the reason for Prince Charles' lack of engagement was not because of Camilla. Rather, he was focused on his work and preparation as the future King of England and this made him the type of parent that his mother, the Queen, was. It's not a secret that Queen Elizabeth prioritized her duty to the Crown first over her family.
But three years ago, there was apparently a shift in the relationship between Prince Charles and his eldest son, Prince William. According to royal commentator Camilla Tominey, the Duke of Cambridge no longer harbor the childhood resentments he had over his parents' marriage breaking down.
Tominey said that William seems to have forgiven his father for the "mistakes of the past" and has now seen Prince Charles in a different light. The Duke of Cambridge apparently realized that his father also had positive influences on him inasmuch as his mother did.
As the eldest son, Prince William was apparently his mother's confidante in her sad marriage to Prince Charles. But as he grew up, William slowly came to accept that Camilla was the woman who brought joy in his father's life.
Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl agreed that Prince Charles' relationship with William changed now that the latter realizes they both carry the same destiny and burden. The two future kings are "on the same wavelength" as the father is guiding his son to take over his roles one day.
Prince Harry, on the other hand, also relied on his father when he transitioned out of the royal family early this year. Prince Charles provided financial support to Harry and Meghan when they started out their new life as non-working royals in the United States.
