The tension between Prince Charles and Princess Diana during their tumultuous relationship and subsequent divorce quickly became apparent all around the world.
And while their sons—Prince William and Prince Harry—certainly felt the brunt of their disputes, William apparently felt “open disdain and aggression towards his father that has lasted to the present day” as a child.
According to royal biographer Robert Lacey’s new book Battle Of Brothers: William and Harry—The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, Charles’ troublesome relationship with Diana had a profound impact on their sons, leaving a young William to reportedly get into heated arguments with his father.
William would reportedly side with his mother, Diana—who passed away in August 1997—in disputes between his parents. “I hate you, Papa. I hate you so much,” William allegedly shouted at Charles at one point. And in a heartbreaking detail, William reportedly added, “Why do you make Mummy cry all the time?”
Lacey also claims that William “came to find consolation in the idea that he would one day be ‘king’” as his parents’ fighting “intensified.”
Additionally, Prince Harry allegedly declared, “I can do what I want,” at four-years-old during an argument with his older brother as the Duke of Sussex invoked the line of succession.
Appearing in a 1995 BBC Panorama interview, Diana opened up about how she explained her divorce from Charles to their sons.
“William asked me what had been going on, and could I answer his questions, which I did,” she admitted.
“He said, ‘Was that the reason why our marriage had broken up?’ And I said, ‘Well, there were three of us in this marriage, and the pressures of the media was another factor, so the two together were very difficult.’ But although I still loved Papa, I couldn’t live under the same roof as him, and likewise with him.”
Diana also revealed that she offered William some advice about how to approach his future love life, saying, “I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life you must hang onto it and look after it,” she said.
“And if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you, then you must protect it.”
