How Kate Middleton Helped Mend Prince William and Prince Charles' Relationship

• Over the years, the relationship between Prince William and his father, Prince Charles, has famously been strained.
• More recently, however, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's high-profile royal exit, William and Charles have clearly been on better terms.
• According to Daily Mail royal correspondent Emily Andrews, Kate Middleton played an important role in mending Will and Charles' relationship when she organized a family picture for Charles' 70th birthday. 

Prince William and Prince Charles' (opens in new tab) relationship is in a better place than it was for a long time—and they apparently have Kate Middleton (opens in new tab) to thank, at least in part, for their reconciliation.

Will and Charles have had a famously strained relationship (opens in new tab) over the years. These days, however, the father and son aren't just on better terms, they're closer than ever, too.

"He's giving William much more input. He realizes that his own reign will be a shorter one than his son's, and therefore it is crucial that William is involved in all long-term planning," one royal aide told the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). "They have been spending more time together and are much more aligned. Both are more comfortable in their own skin—and with each other."

According to a column by Daily Mail royal correspondent Emily Andrews, Kate helped mend William and Charles' relationship during the royal family photoshoot at Charles' 70th birthday (opens in new tab) party—which Kate reportedly planned and coordinated, NBD. Not only did Kate organize the photo, she also made sure all of the kids were smiling in the picture. Then, last winter, Kate even personally snapped the now-iconic photo (opens in new tab) of Charles resting his head on William's shoulder when they were walking through the Norfolk countryside.

Still, according to Andrew's column, William and Kate plan to learn from some of the mistakes Charles may have made while raising Will.

"If I look at my parents' generation, there was a lot more stiff upper lip going on. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for the stiff upper lip, and, for those of us in public life, times when you have to maintain it. But behind closed doors, in normal everyday life, we have to be more open and upfront with our feelings and emotions," William said in 2017, per the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). "Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings."