Inside King Charles And Prince Harry's Relationship

While it doesn't seem like Prince Harry's name is linked to his father's, if you look at his full name, the fact that he was named after King Charles becomes quite clear. Prince Harry's actual name is Henry Charles Albert David.

Royal biographer Andrew Morton quoted Princess Diana in his book "Diana: Her True Story" as saying that it was Charles who decided to name his second child after himself. "I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest," she revealed (via PopSugar). She added that her husband had wanted to name their younger son "Arthur," but she shot it down saying it sounded "too old."

"Charles" is a popular name among the royal family. In addition to King Charles and Prince Harry, Prince William's son, Prince Louis, has Charles as one of his given names. His daughter, Princess Charlotte, also bears a feminine variation of the moniker.

King Charles and Princess Diana's rocky marriage made headlines in the '90s, and the couple finally announced that they were separating in 1992.

The separation meant that Prince Harry was shuffled around a lot between two households, leaving him feeling like he and Prince William "never saw our mother enough or we never saw our father enough," as he said in the 2017 documentary "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy" (via Closer Weekly).

According to royal biographer Robert Lacey, author of "Battle of Brothers: William and Harry: The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult," the dissolution of his parents' marriage, whose divorce was finalized in 1996, had a lasting impact on Harry. "His attitude was: 'Well, I'm not going to make the same mistake as my parents,'" he told Page Six. ”'I'm marrying for love.'" According to Lacey, it has been this "impulse" that "has guided him" in his love life, notably in his whirlwind courtship and marriage to Meghan Markle.

Princess Diana's death in 1997 crushed Prince Harry. He and his brother were spending their summer break with King Charles when the news broke that Diana had been in a fatal car accident, and it fell to Charles to convey the devastating news to his sons. Harry opened up about the traumatic event in the 2017 documentary "Diana, 7 Days," as reported by People.

Prince Harry, who was just 12 at the time, recounted feeling a sense of "disbelief" in the aftermath of his mother's death, and he credited his father with making sure his sons "were protected and looked after" in spite of the fact that "he was going through the same grieving process." 

Somewhat controversially in the eyes of the public, the boys were kept secluded in the countryside in the days leading to Princess Diana's funeral, where they were shielded from the press. According to Prince William, this was a decision made by Queen Elizabeth and King Charles, who wanted the boys to have "space and the peace to be with the family and not be immersed or having to deal with serious decision or worries straightaway."

While Prince Harry's desire to live out of the spotlight and his charity work has often drawn comparisons to his mother, Princess Diana, there's at least one major way in which he takes after his dad. King Charles is so committed to sustainability that he will have his clothes repaired and "even patched" rather than buy something new if he can help it, telling British Vogue: "I can't bear any waste, including food waste; I'd much rather find another use."

Just like Charles, Prince Harry is eco-conscious. In the documentary "Prince, Son And Heir: Charles At 70" (via Her), Prince William revealed that Charles would take his sons "out litter picking" when they were boys. This spurred Harry to do the same at school where, as he said in the documentary, he was teased "for just picking up rubbish."

In the same documentary (via Marie Claire), Prince Harry observed that his dad is "a stickler for turning lights off," which the younger royal is "obsessed with as well."

Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle moved at warp speed, which reportedly had some royals uneasy. Sources told People that Prince William in particular was concerned when Harry said he was ready to get married after just a few months of dating.

Still, it seems that King Charles approved of the match, and he even gave Meghan away at the wedding, as her own father did not attend the ceremony. "I asked him to ... and he immediately said, 'Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here to support you,'" revealed Prince Harry in the documentary "Prince, Son, and Heir: Charles at 70" (via Vogue).

King Charles keeps a memento of that special day on display in his home. In 2020, the Mirror noted that royal watchers had noticed that King Charles had a family photo from the royal wedding by the fireplace at Clarence House. Royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in "Finding Freedom" (via the Independent) that the heir to the throne also keeps a "framed black-and-white photo of himself escorting his daughter-in-law at his Clarence House residence."

Prince Harry admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he was disappointed by his father's reaction to his decision to distance himself from the royal family, as Entertainment Tonight reported. "I feel really let down," he said. It wasn't just the lack of support that had him feeling that way, though, but also the fact that his father had "been through something similar."

Harry was referring to what had happened to his mother, Princess Diana, decades earlier. One of the biggest reasons Harry decided to break away from being a senior royal was because he remembered the toll royal life and negative press took on his mother. "My biggest concern was history repeating itself," he told Winfrey (via Marie Claire).

Prince Harry confessed that he has conflicting emotions, though. While he wishes he'd had more support, he also acknowledged that leaving the royal family isn't necessarily easy — especially when you're the heir to the throne. "My father and my brother they are all trapped," he said (via Entertainment Tonight). "They don't get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that."

Speaking with the Mirror in 2022, royal biographer Ingrid Seward alleged that at least part of the tension between Prince Harry and his father might be due to how King Charles reportedly handled things after Princess Diana's death. According to Seward, Charles stepped up and became both mother and father to Harry and William but rarely discussed Diana. "Charles thought that was the right thing to do," she said. "It wasn't until much later that Harry revealed he had hidden his private emotions so deeply."

Seward claimed that Harry harbored a lot of resentment. "He felt that Charles should have explained to both he and William exactly how and why the accident had occurred," she said. "Years passed and Harry complained he still didn't understand if his mother had been the victim of an assassination attempt or if it was just a tragic accident."

It didn't help that Charles later married Camilla, Queen Consort, the woman with whom he cheated on Diana. The relationship between Camilla and Harry is believed to be rocky, with a source telling the Daily Beast in 2022 that "the perception is that Harry has never given Camilla the slightest chance and is still refusing to." A source told Page Six that Harry views Camila as having usurped Diana, saying: "His mother was meant to be queen, and Camilla will always be the woman who led to his parents' divorce."

Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on September 8, 2022, at 96. With her death, Prince Charles became King Charles III. Prince Harry commented on both of these huge events in a statement. "Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren," the Duke of Sussex wrote (via CBS News). He continued to speak of his love for his grandmother and how much he would miss her before bringing the topic to his father, the new king. "And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III," he added.

While it's hard to say how Charles being king will impact his relationship with Harry, he addressed their bond in his first royal address as King Charles the day after his mother's death. "I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas," he said (via Reuters).

The show of respect from both parties bodes well for the father and son, but only time will tell if it is enough to mend the rift between them.

While it appears that things between King Charles and Prince Harry remain tense, there is still hope that the father and son will make up. In what many have seen as the extension of an olive branch, Charles invited his younger son to his coronation. Royal expert Afua Hagan told Express: "Attending the Coronation is the first step on the road to reconciliation."

The fact that Charles has reportedly evicted Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage, however, may have been a way of making his true feelings on Harry's presence at the coronation known, as some have speculated. "It's sending a clear, clear message from the King to his younger son," royal expert Giselle Bastin told Time. "That would provide in many ways a disincentive for Prince Harry to bring his family over for the coronation, perhaps even himself, if he doesn't have somewhere to stay that is covered by royal security."

There may be decades of tension between King Charles and his younger son, but that doesn't mean their history is only one of heartbreak. Prince Harry has recounted many pleasant memories with his father, such as how he'd tuck him in at night. "He never forgot that I didn't like the dark, so he'd gently tickle my face until I fell asleep," wrote Harry in "Spare" (via Town & Country). "I have the fondest memories of his hands on my cheeks, my forehead, then waking to find him gone, magically, the door always considerately left open a crack."

The Duke of Sussex also recounted in his memoir the many ways his father showed him affection and support, teaching him how to drive and backing his decision not to go to university. The prince also revealed that his father referred to him as "darling boy," a sweet endearment that shows the complexity of their relationship.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world when they stepped down as senior royals. The couple was initially reported to have asked about the possibility of simply lessening their royal duties. "The preference of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex was to continue to represent and support Her Majesty The Queen albeit in a more limited capacity, while not drawing on the Sovereign Grant," read a statement on their website in 2020.

The plan for them to be part-time working royals was shot down, but now that Charles is king, he could grant Harry and Meghan's wish. "I hope Charles considers bringing them both back into the Firm the way they originally wanted: half in, half out, and earning their own salaries doing their own outside work," royal expert Kristen Meinzer told Newsweek.

Whether or not Harry and Meghan return to the royal family fold remains to be seen, but it seems their children will at least be made royal following Charles' ascension to the throne. The Sun reported that King Charles would grant Harry's children Archie and Lilibet the titles of "prince" and princess," although they may not be able to style themselves as "His/Her Royal Highness" unless their parents return to working royal status.