King Charles Has One Major Regret in the Way He Parented Prince William and Prince Harry
“Children all need boundaries, and I don’t think they had too many.”
![King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/htnnSDZcgButKsrts7HtB3-415-80.jpg)
There’s really only one certainty when it comes to parenting: no one does it perfectly. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward said, though, that when it comes to his two sons Prince William and Prince Harry, King Charles has one major regret—that he wasn’t more strict.
“Prince Harry and King Charles were very, very close,” Seward told Fox News Digital today. “They got on incredibly well. I think Charles probably regrets that he wasn’t strict with Harry and William.”
Charles apparently wishes he'd been more strict with his sons.
Seward—who, in addition to writing numerous royal books, is editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine—said that Charles went along with his ex-wife Princess Diana’s “freestyle of bringing up children”: “Diana allowed them to do, more or less, what they wanted, which was very fashionable in those days,” she said. “You let children just get on with things. I think Charles probably regrets that he wasn’t a bit stricter, because it might’ve given both boys a few more boundaries.”
Seward added, “Children all need boundaries, and I don’t think they had too many.”
Seward said Diana's looser method of parenting influenced the way Charles parented, too.
Even after Harry’s step back as a working member of the royal family and allegations leveled on the royal family through his memoir, Spare, and the eponymous Netflix docuseries he took part in with wife Meghan Markle, “That doesn’t stop Charles [from] loving him,” Seward said, per OK. “But I think he’s very upset by Harry’s behavior and especially upset by Harry’s remarks about his wife, about Camilla…Charles just has to be there with open arms. Otherwise, it’s just going to make things much, much worse. And I’m sure he wishes that William and Harry were on better terms, but there’s nothing he can do about it. It’s between them. But he did say, ‘Please, boys, don’t make my last years miserable,’ which is exactly what they have done.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
17 Chic Pieces for Transitional Dressing Made Easy
Including a Katie Holmes-approved jacket for $400 off.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Lady Gaga Performs in Full Moulin Rouge Glam—and Flamingo Feathers
The pop star is bringing her glamorous residency feathers to her highly-anticipated Paris performance.
By India Roby Published
-
Why Did Prince William Remove Queen Camilla's Sister From His Payroll?
She was hired by King Charles in 2005.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why Did Prince William Remove Queen Camilla's Sister From His Payroll?
She was hired by King Charles in 2005.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle "Fears" Being "Heckled" If She Returns to U.K.
"The last thing she needs is the stress of going back."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince Harry on Why He Won't Bring Meghan Markle Back to the U.K.: "It's Still Dangerous"
He fears for his family's safety.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and King Charles Have the Cutest Matching Friendship Bracelets
And fans think Charlotte was responsible.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why the Royal Family's Income Just Increased By a Whopping $58 Million
Now that's an impressive pay rise.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Ryan Reynolds Crushes Fan Hopes That Lady Deadpool Is Taylor Swift... Or King Charles?
But who is it then????
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published