Prince William Hasn’t Had An Easy Relationship With His Father – And Now Kate Has Stepped In

Prince William and his dad, Prince Charles, are connected in a way that goes beyond family bonds. After all, both are going to be king one day. That’s something you can’t say about most folks. But while the two men can commiserate over this shared fate, it may not have brought them closer. At times, in fact, they’ve had a pretty difficult relationship.

All the recent drama in the family probably hasn’t helped. Yep, we’re talking about the aftermath of that interview with Oprah. While speaking to the talk show host, William’s brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, were remarkably candid about the challenges they’d faced as young royals. And if the couple were to be believed, Harry’s relatives had caused some of these problems.

There was no doubt that Harry stepping down as a working royal had sent massive shockwaves through the family. But, of course, he wasn’t the one who’d been groomed all his life to rule. As difficult as his exit had been, it would have been a hundred times harder for Charles or William.

Harry touched on this during the Oprah interview. He spoke of being caught in “the system” – or the tradition and protocol that dictates royal life. And the prince claimed that both Charles and William were going through exactly the same thing. “My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don’t get to leave, and I have huge compassion for that,” Harry explained.

There’s only one way William or Charles could get out of being king: by renouncing their right to the throne. And, well, the family as a whole would not like that. The last time an abdication happened was in 1936. Back then, King Edward VIII stepped down, furious that royal rules wouldn’t permit him to marry an American divorcée. There are shades of Harry and Meghan there, for sure.