How Queen Camilla Has Been At The Center Of King Charles And Prince Harry's Bitter Feud
Prince Harry's scathing words for his stepmother, Queen Camilla, started a royal beef that reportedly also damaged the royal's relationship with his father, King Charles III, beyond repair. In Harry's tell-all 2023 memoir "Spare," he alleged that Charles, Camilla, and her crack PR team leaked details about his drug use to the press because they wanted to create a narrative of Charles being a loving father who checked his son into rehab. Even Harry's brother, William, Prince of Wales, supposedly wasn't immune to the PR attacks as Harry claimed that their team also perpetuated the narrative that William's marriage to Catherine, Princess of Wales, was on the rocks.
The Duke of Sessex shared his feelings about Camilla in the aftermath of her supposed calculated moves, admitting, "I had complex feelings about gaining a step parent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar," (via TIME). Harry added more fuel to the fire by doubling down on CBS' "60 Minutes," confessing that he found the queen consort difficult to trust because she would apparently stop at nothing to sway the public's opinion of her in a more positive light.
As Harry explained, "There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street." As expected, Charles wasn't pleased about his son's shocking statements, and they only made it harder for the father-son duo to reconcile.
King Charles III was forced to pick a side in the royal feud
In November 2023, a source told OK! magazine that King Charles III desperately wanted to mend fences with Prince Harry before it was too late. Unfortunately, the insider believed the father-son reunion would be nearly impossible because Queen Camilla understandably wasn't too impressed with what the Duke of Sussex wrote about her in "Spare." They pointed out that Charles was in a tough spot since he couldn't extend an olive branch to his son without hurting his wife. Ultimately, they reckoned that the king was trying to figure out a way forward that would keep everyone happy. However, as time passed, it appeared that Charles' loyalties shifted more and more towards Camilla.
In May 2024, a close confidant of the Prince and Princess of Wales confirmed to the Daily Beast that while Charles still loved his son tremendously, he couldn't turn a blind eye to the fact that his wife had become even more essential following Charles' cancer diagnosis. The king couldn't bring himself to disturb the peace, since he obviously loves her very dearly. The insider also suggested that although Charles felt conflicted, he may have actually made up his mind a while ago. "Harry has made it very clear, very publicly, that he despises her," they said, adding, "He has forced Charles to choose, which was a very silly thing to do because Camilla and he both chose each other a long time ago."
Queen Camilla could be a game-changer for the royal clash
In September 2023, a source disclosed to the Daily Beast that Queen Camilla was one of the few people who had the power to end the years-long royal feud between King Charles III and Prince Harry. "She is the only one who will be in a position to advise him who he will listen to. She is a pragmatist and I'm sure she understands the importance of putting this saga to bed," they stated. However, it doesn't appear as though Camilla is rushing to help Charles and Harry fix their damaged relationship. In fact, in June 2024, an Us Weekly source argued that the queen consort may even have deepened the wedge between the two, asserting, "Camilla dislikes Harry and doesn't want Charles to get stressed while he's undergoing treatment, so she tries to limit interactions."
Similarly, on The Sun's "Royal Exclusive," royal expert Robert Jobson notified viewers that Camilla's grievances with Harry were likely one of the main reasons why he only got a 30-minute meeting with his dad following Charles' cancer diagnosis. However, Prince William and Kate Middleton's pal, who spoke to the Daily Beast, felt that the queen consort's aversion to her stepson was entirely justified, given how he publicly dragged her name through the mud. Even an ex-employee of Buckingham Palace professed that the family didn't want anything to do with Prince Harry or his wife Meghan Markle anymore. Given all this, it's safe to assume that the royal feud may go on for a while.