This article was originally published on MaternityWeek
Divorce and new people stepping into parenting roles are hard on any family, but these matters get even more complicated when it involves literal royalty. William and Harry know that better than anybody, though they wouldn't speak about it publicly for years. Now that they are parents themselves, the regal brothers have shared their feelings about the entire saga that shook Buckingham Palace. While they tried not to rock the boat too much, a handful of surprising takeaways slipped out. After learning those long-hushed details, people watch a little closer when they interact with their stepmother.
Mother Or Angel?
Looking back on their earliest childhood memories, Princes William and Harry agree that they had the ideal mother. To many, Princess Diana seemed like an angel who came down to Earth.
Even so, their family wasn't perfect.
The Other Woman
Royal family insiders believed that another woman may have been the apple of Prince Charles' eye. Rumors swirled that he was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he dated in the early 1970s..
Social Circles
Through overlapping social circles, Charles and Camilla reconnected years later, though both were married. Diana supposedly took an instant dislike to Camilla, who still had strong chemistry with her old flame.
She even referred to Camilla as "Charles' lady."
Initial Problems
Eventually, distrust, infidelity, and a substantial age gap between Charles and Diana left their marriage in shambles. They separated in 1992 before officially divorcing four years later.
Sadly, William and Harry never had a chance for their family to get back together.
Far Too Soon
Diana tragically died in a 1997 car crash, and Charles' main priority switched to caring for his grieving sons. Still, it wouldn't be too long until the boys saw a familiar face reenter their lives..
Second Time Around
Camilla, having gone through her own divorce, became romantically involved with Charles again. She soon began accompanying him to various events, outraging those who blamed her for ruining Diana's marriage.
The princes weren't exactly cheering, either.
Dependable Brothers
Fortunately, William and Harry could lean on each other as they stitched their lives back together. But they also wanted to put their dad at ease.
They told him, as a sign of good faith, that they would each meet with Camilla.
"I Need A Drink"
Charles' love interest couldn't help but agree. She met first with William behind closed doors.
Not a soul knows quite what was said during their talk, but when Camilla reemerged, she told Charles, "I need a drink."
Setting Up A Meeting
Once she settled down from that somewhat tense affair, Camilla met with the younger prince. This meeting supposedly went off without a hitch.
Camilla felt obligated to reach out with an olive branch of her own.
An Important Step
She took her children, Tom and Laura, to meet Charles' boys. They all enjoyed tea at Camilla's residence, and while all the kids would never be best friends, their amiability was an important step..
Sealing The Deal
Now on Camilla's side, William and Harry wanted to make her a more legitimate presence. Despite her trepidation, they brought her to Charles' 50th birthday party.
Soon she felt confident to go out with Charles more often.
Establishing A Relationship
Whereas the princes once steered clear of Camilla, they had a firm relationship by the early 2000s. It wasn't unusual to see the three of them chatting or having a laugh.
That gave Charles the courage to do something extraordinary.
The Proposal
Years after their adultery scandal, he proposed to Camilla. The couple tied the knot at the Windsor Guildhall in 2006, with family members from both sides wishing them nothing but the best..
Love Story Fulfilled
This marriage meant more than just the fulfillment of a love story, after all. Both families suffered when reporters tore into their private lives and disagreements.
Now that they were joined, they could put all that behind them.
"The Wicked Stepmother"
And Harry and William only grew closer with Camilla in the following years. In response to some tabloids that accused her of taking over the family, Harry affirmed that she was "not a wicked stepmother.".
Merits Of Her Own
As a matter of fact, the princes started to see why their dad always liked Camilla. More than just an air-headed noble, she was passionate about horses and gardening.
She also spoke out on behalf of sexual assault victims.
Making Dad Happy
And most importantly, she just made Charles happy. Harry and William were glad to see him find love again, and they only strengthened their ties with Camilla as they started their own families..
Important Development
When William married Kate Middleton, for instance, Camilla's offspring received a place of honor. Her granddaughter, Eliza Lopes, had the prestigious role of flower girl in the ceremony! These deepening bonds could be an important development in the history of Britain too..
Potential Queen
With Charles now sitting on the throne, Camilla has the title of Queen Consort — though that wasn't always meant to be the case. Luckily, she proved her worth to the late Queen Elizabeth, who eventually granted her permission to ascend to Queen after her passing..
Characters Indeed
Royal life is no walk in the park, plus King Charles is quite a character. Even though they'd known each other for decades before marrying, Camilla has picked up on new quirks in recent years..
Squirrel lover
Who knew that King Charles had a huge soft spot for squirrels? “He is completely infatuated by the red squirrels that live around the estate in Scotland – to the extent that he's given them names and is allowing them into the house,” Prince William told Country Life magazine in November 2018. Awww..
He has over 30 godchildren
Godparenting is serious business among the royal family – among all royal families, it would seem. Charles has no less than 32 godchildren, among them Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, and Kumar Padmanabh Singh, Crown Prince of Jaipur.
He was also made a godfather to Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son – which probably came in handy when he married her.
A very picky eater
It sounds like royal chefs have a lot to deal with. According to unconfirmed reports, Charles requires his eggs to be boiled for seven minutes, no more, no less.
He also wants his vegetables steamed in mineral water and his gin made from Highgrove fruits. And in 2017 he and Camilla put an advert out for a new chef – but applicants needed to have a “working knowledge of organic food,” according to the Easy Bay Times.
Barbara Streisand crush
Charles and Barbara Streisand met a few times, and apparently he had a bit of a thing for her! In his 2016 book called Game of Crowns, Christopher Andersen claims that Charles had a poster of Streisand on his wall at university and loved her movies. But he even suggested that Charles and had an affair with the actress.
And apparently Diana was aware of the fling! Nothing has been confirmed, though.
"The world’s best-dressed man"
On camera Charles is almost always seen wearing stylish double-breasted suits or impressive uniforms. That’s probably what saw him named the “world’s best-dressed man” by Esquire magazine in 2009.
He even beat out Barack Obama, in fact. “The prince keeps his wardrobe in appropriate style; we're told he has a room laid out like a tailor's shop,” the publication noted.
His parents didn’t visit his sickbed
When Charles was a boy, he sometimes got sick, as children do. One time in 1957 he had the flu, but apparently his parents didn’t come to visit him when he was suffering.
A few years later, he got the measles, but once again his parents were absent. It wasn’t for fear of infection – the royals were vaccinated – but they were simply too busy with royal duties! That must have been tough for Charles.
He apparently dreaded his wedding to Diana
Of course, the whole world knows that the Charles-Diana relationship ended unhappily. But it seems that Charles sensed even before the wedding how it would turn out.
According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, the future king dreaded the prospect of marrying Diana so much that he wept on the evening prior to the ceremony.
There's a frog named after him
Charles’s love of nature is well documented. And to honor his work protecting rainforests, a newfound frog was named after him in 2012.
The creature is called Hyloscirtus princecharlesi, to be precise. A spokesman for Amphibian Ark, the organization that bestowed the name, told ITV, “It's fairly unusual to name a new species after someone, but this is seen as something special in honor of the Prince.”
Can’t stand the press
There’s always been tension between the royal family and the media that reports on them. This was made clear in 2005 when, during a ski trip to Switzerland with his sons, Charles was overheard uttering the following of reporter Nicholas Witchell: “Bloody people.
I can't bear that man. He's so awful, he really is.” Oops.
Shipwreck explorer
Charles was among the final divers to reach the wreck of the Mary Rose, the famous Tudor-era warship. His dive took place in 1982, and in 2014 he reflected upon the experience during a visit to the museum where the wreck is now on display.
“It was like swimming in a kind of lentil soup,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “You couldn't see anything, or so I thought, until it was under your nose.”
He dated Diana’s sister first
Before Diana, Charles apparently first had a fling with Lady Sarah Spencer, her sister. But there were seemingly no hard feelings afterwards, since Sarah told the media that she was the one who’d introduced the future king to his new wife.
Marriage didn’t seem to be her agenda – in 1978, she infamously told Women’s Own that she wouldn’t marry Charles “whether he were the dustman or the King of England.”
Te first heir to attend their mother’s coronation
Charles was the first British royal child to see his mother being crowned queen. He was four years old at the time and was seated between his aunt and grandmother at the ceremony.
Charles has re-watched footage of the event since then and reminisced about how his mother rehearsed wearing the crown in advance of the big day.
Descended from one of history’s greatest villains
Believe it or not, Charles is distantly related to the 15th-century ruler Vlad Tepes, aka Vlad the Impaler, who of course was the inspiration for Dracula. In 2011 Charles spoke proudly of this link in a documentary titled Wild Carpathia.
“The genealogy shows I am descended from Vlad the Impaler, so I do have a bit of a stake in the country,” he joked.
His parents gifted him an Aston Martin
Most people get something special on their 21st birthdays. But Charles, being a prince and all, received an Aston Martin DB6 MKII car.
The company now holds Charles’ Royal Warrant, and the car itself is still in use. Charles lent it to William and Kate Middleton for their wedding, in fact. But, alas, the young prince managed to leave the handbrake on while driving it.
He tried to lobby politicians
One of the main rules of being a British royal is that you don’t try to interfere with the actual running of the country. But Charles broke that rule! In 2015 the infamous “black spider memos” were leaked to The Guardian and revealed that he had been lobbying politicians about military and primarily environmental environmental issues..
Part of a magicians' society
The Magic Circle is a prestigious society of magicians, one that’s been around since 1905. And Charles himself is a member! In 1975 he auditioned for them by performing a “cup and balls” magic trick – and got in.
Well, they were hardly going to tell him no, were they? Now, the cup and balls in question can be seen at the organization’s London museum.
Strained relationship with his father
Even Prince Philip admitted that relations between him and Charles were far from perfect. Philip told royal biographer Gyles Brandreth in 2016.,“[Charles is] a romantic, and I’m a pragmatist.
That means we do see things differently. And because I don’t see things as a romantic would, I’m unfeeling.” But they apparently grew closer in the years since.
He wrote and presented a documentary
Charles has strong opinions about a lot of things, and one of those issues is architecture. He scripted and helmed a BBC documentary in 1988 called A Vision of Britain, in which he slammed some well-known buildings.
Of One Canada Square in London’s Canary Wharf, he said, “I personally would go mad if I had to work in a place like that.” Nonetheless, the skyscraper in question is still there.
Almost married another woman
Prior to his relationship with Diana, Charles allegedly came very close to marrying another woman. This was Lady Amanda Knatchbull (now Amanda Ellingworth), daughter of Lord Mountbatten.
He reportedly proposed to her in 1979 but, according to unconfirmed sources, she turned him down. That was possibly for the best, however, since she was his cousin, after all.
He was caught drinking underage
At the age of only 14, Charles and some friends went to the Crown Hotel pub on Scotland’s Isle of Lewes and bought alcoholic drinks. Charles himself had a cherry brandy.
That probably doesn’t seem like a big deal now, but in 1963 it was scandalous. Buckingham Palace initially refuted the claims but later acknowledged that they were true. There was at least one silver lining: the incident made the Crown Hotel famous.
He reads Harry Potter to his grandchildren
According to Camilla, Charles doesn’t just narrate the Harry Potter books to his young grandkids, he goes the extra mile. “He does all the voices, because he is a brilliant mimic,” she told the Daily Mail in 2017.
“He's extremely good with children. They love it.”
His transport is eco-friendly
Charles is so devoted to the environment that in 2018 he switched his precious Aston Martin, the birthday present from his parents, to wine fuel rather than gas. No, really! It runs very well, according to Charles.
And that isn’t the only environmentally friendly modification that he’s made to royal travel arrangements. The late Queen Elizabeth’s train was apparently fueled by used cooking oil!
Ice skater
Charles has not only tried the difficult sport of ice skating, but he’s also apparently pretty good at it. When he was 13, he took lessons at the Richmond Ice Rink in London and ended up with a certificate of merit.
One of his tutors was Betty Callaway, who taught the famous Olympic ice-dancing champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
Some unusual travel essentials
According to an unofficial biography published in 2018, Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles, the new King of England likes to travel with his own toilet paper, toilet seat, mattress, and paintings of the Scottish countryside. Charles disputed the toilet seat claim, but as for the rest of the items, it’s anybody’s guess..
He invented a new dish
When Charles co-edited Country Life magazine to mark his birthday in 2018, he talked enthusiastically about food. He’d come up with a new meat-based dish, in fact, which he called “moussaka with grouse.” Moussaka is a Greek meal made with aubergines, potatoes and lamb, but Charles replaced the lamb with grouse.
“It doesn't always have to be lamb, in other words groussaka!” he wrote.
A trained helicopter pilot
The royals seemingly just love to be in the sky. Charles became a certified helicopter pilot in 1974, after which he signed up with the 845 Naval Air Squadron.
And it’s something he appears to have passed down to his children, because Prince William went on to be a helicopter pilot as well.
He’s founded a lot of charities
Charles puts plenty of time into charitable giving all over the world, which is an admirable quality in a monarch. And it appears to be effective, with his charities collectively bringing in over $100 million a year.
Among them are From Babies with Love, which helps abandoned and orphaned kids; the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, which works on historic buildings; and the UK Historical Preservation Trust, the name of which speaks for itself.
A scandalous phone call
Scandal hit the royals once more in 1992. That was the year that the contents of a very explicit telephone call between Charles and Camilla were leaked via a phone tap.
It was reported across the globe and was extremely embarrassing for the prince. The incident was subsequently called “Camilla-gate,” and Charles would probably not appreciate anyone bringing it up in his presence.
He sent Harry to rehab
When Charles found out that his youngest son Harry had been taking drugs and drinking excessively, he immediately packed Harry off to a rehab center for the day. It was a short, sharp shock, and it apparently worked like a charm.
Charles was praised by the press for being so quick to react and for turning the incident into a learning experience.
He has his own food company
Charles decided to establish his own food company in 1990. It’s called Duchy Originals, and its main purpose is to sell organic food.
The media predicted it would be a total failure and wouldn’t last long – but they couldn’t have been more incorrect. The firm is still going strong today, in fact, with all the proceeds being donated to charity.
He could have changed his name
Upon ascending to the throne, royals have the option of adopting a “regnal name” instead of their given name. Charles is now called King Charles III, but many wondered if he’d opt for a different nae since the last two historic kings of England named Charles weren’t especially popular.
One even ended up being executed...
A fan of homeopathy
King Charles is a supporter of the highly controversial “alternative medicine” practice of homeopathy. Among the ideas he lobbied politicians about was the concept of establishing an official register of providers, and he even treats his cows with homeopathic medicine.
But this has placed him at odds with scientists, who have accused him of giving out bad medical advice.
He was close to his grandmother
Though the young Charles had a distant relationship with his parents, he was close to his grandmother, the Queen Mother. She was the one who stood up for Charles when needed, apparently, and engaged him in activities he actually enjoyed.
When she died in 2002, Charles was devastated and said in his tribute that she “meant everything” to him.
Talks to plants...
Charles has a rather odd habit: he talks to plants. In the 2010 documentary Highgrove: Alan Meets Prince Charles, he explained it.
“I happily talk to the plants and the trees, and listen to them. I think it's absolutely crucial,” Charles said. He really adores his shrubs, it seems. “Every tree has a meaning for me,” he added.
A children’s book publisher
In his younger days, Charles told the tale of The Old Man of Lochnagar to his younger siblings Edward and Andrew. As an adult, he had the clout to get that book published.
It hit shelves in 1980, with proceeds going to one of Charles’ charities, The Prince’s Trust. Later, the story was made into an animated short, with Robbie Coltrane voicing the title character.
He’s a painter
Who knows how he finds the time for it, but Charles is also a painter. He likes watercolors most of all, and has actually created many artworks over the years.
Though critics turn their noses up at them, it seems not everyone feels the same. Indeed, thanks to sales of the paintings, millions of dollars have gone to charity.
He hunts for sport
Despite his devotion to the environment and his love of (some) animals, Charles still strongly believes that fox hunting should be deemed a sport. In 2002 he sent a letter to then-prime minister Tony Blair begging him not to outlaw the practice, calling hunting “genuinely environmentally friendly” and “completely natural,” according to the Daily Mirror.
Animal rights activists were not impressed at all. And, yes, fox hunting was subsequently banned.
The longest-serving heir to the throne
Charles waited to be king longer than anybody else in the history of the United Kingdom. Before Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022, she served for 70 long years.
But some people think that he should have given up his claim to the throne entirely and passed the crown to his son William instead.
Sleeps in the nude?
Exactly how this is known remains unrecorded, but apparently Charles forgoes nightwear and sleeps naked. He might have inherited this from his father, Prince Philip, who reportedly does the exact same thing.
Indeed, this alleged trait was faithfully reenacted in the TV show The Crown.