Prince William and King Charles have grown closer since Prince Harry’s departure, according to insiders.
The 75-year-old monarch reportedly sees his son as a “useful ally” in managing the daily issues affecting the Royal Family since he ascended the throne. This includes handling Harry’s criticism of them in TV interviews and his memoir, Spare.
The Prince of Wales has also played a crucial role in standing in for the King as he continues his cancer treatment.
In the past, it was suggested that the extensive media attention on William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, occasionally caused frustration for Charles, with one person likening it to a “green-eyed monster.” However, insiders now say this is no longer the case.
A friend told The Times: “If there was ever a green-eyed monster or a sense of rivalry between the two, that is a chapter of the past. The King sees his son as a useful ally on family matters and increasingly in discharging the duties of nation and state.”
A source close to William meanwhile told the newspaper that the Prince of Wales “wants to support his father”, especially amid “everything the King is going through with his treatment”.
One recent example of them working together was seen at the D-Day commemorations in Normandy this week, where a determined King Charles delivered a speech just hours after recieving his latest round of cancer treatment.
He praised veterans and troops from Second World War as the generation who “did not flinch” and met veterans afterwards, before Prince William stepped in for his dad when he joined world leaders at the international ceremony on Omaha Beach.
Prince Harry did not attend the ceremony – and royal historian and expert Dr Tessa Dunlop has said she believes Harry will have been sad to see his brother at the events without him.
