A royal insider has disputed claims made by Prince Harry about his father, King Charles, in his memoir Spare. Ruthie Henshall, who dated Prince Edward for around five years, has revealed what King Charles' parenting style is really like in her new book, The Showgirl And The Prince.
Playing with his sons
Henshall spent much time at Balmoral with senior members of the Royal Family and saw King Charles with his sons first hand. She says: "I watched Charles playing rough and tumble with William and Harry (then aged ten and eight) in the Balmoral corridors. He clearly loved those boys, and they were squealing with joy as daddy chased them."
In contrast, Harry's memoir paints a different picture. He writes: "Pa didn't hug me." He adds: "Not that Pa hadn't always been a bit checked out. He'd always given an air of being not quite ready for parenthood - the responsibilities, the patience, the time. Even he, though a proud man, would've admitted as much. But single parenthood? Pa was never made for that."
Family tensions
Prince Harry's relationships with the Royal Family reportedly ran into complications when he met his wife, Meghan Markle. The two were married within two years of knowing each other, with Prince William allegedly raising concerns about the speed of their relationship. In 2020, they stepped down from their royal duties.
Harry's relationship with his family was further damaged with the release of his book, which contains allegations about some members of the Royal Family. Prince Harry now lives in the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie.
Recent visit
In July, all four of them visited the UK on a five-day trip to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games. While they were here, they were all hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for a private meeting. Prince Harry did not appear to meet with Prince William.
