Prince Charles obviously knew that his son, Prince Harry, had sat down with Oprah for a tell-all interview. However, until the interview aired, he did not know what Harry had told Oprah and revealed to the world.
Harry and Meghan shared many shocking revelations about the royal family with Oprah, but one of the most surprising things was when Harry mentioned that his father had stopped taking his calls. He did not go into details about the circumstances, but he did explain that they were on speaking terms again. Yet, the rift remains.
We highly doubt that the Oprah interview is going to help heal the wound between Harry and Prince Charles. In fact, it seems to have put the man next in line to be king of England “in a state of despair.”
Not only did Harry mention that his dad wasn’t taking his calls, but he he also mentioned that he felt let down by his dad. Harry shared that one of the main reasons they stepped down as senior members of the royal family was because of their mental health. Between the negative tabloids and the lack of support from the royal family, Meghan shared that she felt trapped and was having suicidal thoughts.
Harry was worried about history repeating itself. He clearly meant the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was harassed by the paparazzi until the very end. He obviously didn’t want his own wife’s life to end tragically.
Harry thought that his dad should be able to understand how he was feeling since he had been through something very similar. Yet, his dad was not supportive of him or of his decision to leave the royal family.
Prince Charles was hoping that he would become a popular and well-liked king. He thought he was well on his way to gaining popularity at the beginning of Harry and Meghan’s marriage. When he stepped in for Meghan’s dad and walked his daughter-in-law down the aisle, that certainly helped his popularity rise, as did the fact that he was welcoming to Meghan’s mom.
Now, things have changed, and he is worried about the downfall of his son’s words. Vanity Fair reported that royal author Sarah Gristwood thinks Harry’s words may have done more damage than he even realized.
“For Prince Harry to say that he felt let down by his father must have been a difficult thing to say and hard for Charles to hear. Now, just at a time when by and large Charles had started to look like a more popular King than one would have guessed, here’s a major blow to his reputation. That his son felt let down by him. It’s hard to know if Harry is aware of the damage this has done. Did he actually intend to cast this damaging light on his father and his family? We don’t know.”
The royal family has yet to respond to the shocking Oprah interview. They are reportedly spending the day strategizing.
Did you watch the Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry? How would you feel if your son told the world he was “let down” by you on a show that was broadcast internationally? Do you think Prince Charles and Harry will ever be on good terms again?