It’s always hard to navigate the relationship of a child and their new stepmother, and it’s even harder when that stepmother was at one point the father’s mistress. Prince Harry has made it clear on numerous occasions that he’s never really liked Queen Camilla, and it’s starting to affect his relationship with his father, as Camilla urges King Charles to “keep his distance” from his son. Keep reading for more information.
Prince Harry Calls Queen Camilla A 'Villain' In His Memoir
Prince Harry wasn't afraid to tell the world of his grievances against his stepmother, writing in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that he and Prince William "begged" their father not to marry his then-mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles, after their mother, Princess Diana, tragically passed away. Harry wrote that they were worried Camilla would become a "wicked stepmother."
Later on, when he was a bit older, he still didn't have a relationship with Camilla. "I had complex feelings about gaining a step parent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar," he wrote. He believed that Camilla was the mastermind behind many of the stories that came out in the early 2000s about his drug use. In other instances, he called her "the villain."
Prince Harry's Attitude Is Strike #2
After King Charles revealed to the world that he's been diagnosed with cancer back in February, Prince Harry quickly hopped on a flight from California to London. But, according to a royal courtier, Queen Camilla was unhappy with Prince Harry's visit even before his plane touched down, as he reportedly made the trip without getting proper permission. "Her Majesty was furious Harry flew in from his ritzy California home without getting palace approval – and came with an attitude," the royal courtier reportedly told the National Enquirer.
The pub, as well as several other outlets, noted that the father-of-two had made some comments about wanting to see his own father privately, without his step-mother present, which reportedly infuriated Queen Camilla even further.
"I'm told Camilla was outraged," the courtier added, in reference to Prince Harry's alleged request to have some alone time with his father. "She's taken a lot of bile from Harry for years and couldn't wait to let him have it."
Queen Camilla Urges King Charles To Keep His Distance From Harry
It seems like two strikes is enough for Queen Camilla to urge her husband to let things go with his youngest son. According to Us Weekly, the Queen consort is "imploring" King Charles "to keep his distance from Prince Harry."
The pub also noted that "Camilla dislikes Harry and doesn't want Charles to get stressed while he's undergoing treatment, so she tries to limit interaction [with Prince Harry.]"
As one can imagine, this is making things quite difficult for King Charles, who is reportedly "holding out hope of salvaging their relationship, but is hugely conflicted because Harry has hurt William and Camilla so much," and it's putting him "in a difficult position."