King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship now looks very different to how it once did.
And they say photos say a thousand words…
Six years ago, to mark the now monarch’s 7oth birthday, Charles sat with his family for an official photo.
But behind the smiling snap, tension and drama was reportedly bubbling behind the scenes.
Truth behind King Charles’ 70th birthday photo with William and Harry
In the snap, now Queen Camilla, Prince William, his wife Kate, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle looked relaxed and at ease. Meanwhile, William and Kate’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis beamed perfectly for the special portrait.
Now we know, the true emotions of the adults were very different.
Although the photo was a hit with royal observers at the time, the process of getting the photo was apparently far from smooth.
In fact, it was reportedly an “absolute nightmare” to arrange due to William and Harry’s lack of effort.
In their tell-all biography Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed Harry and William didn’t have a simple dynamic.
Even then, the royal brothers were said to have been “hot and cold with their father”.
Their relationship has been made even more “complex” – especially due to the fact Charles is technically Harry and William’s boss.
Charles, William and Harry’s ‘complex’ relationship
The authors wrote: “‘The boys can be hot and cold with their father’ disclosed a source, who gave the example of planning the photo session for Charles’ 70th birthday, which they called ‘an absolute nightmare’. Neither William nor Harry made much of an effort to make themselves available.”
Two snaps were released from the photoshoot. One a more formal photo. The other a candid image of the family laughing – which you can see here.
Scobie and Durand’s biography went on to claim that money was a major source of tension for the king and his sons.
King Charles’ ‘control’ of the ‘purse strings’
At the time Charles looked after the Duchy of Cornwall, meaning he would “control the purse strings” when it came to Harry and William’s spending. This was even down to the budget for Kate and Meghan’s clothing.
They alleged: “The brothers sometimes had to vie for additional funds for projects from their father, who also helped to cover expenses related to Camilla and some of those for his sons (including Kate and Meghan’s wardrobes).
“They actually genuinely have to debate who gets what amount from their father to fund their projects. While Charles may be a father to Harry, he’s also their boss, and that makes their relationship complex for a number of reasons.”
