King Charles and Prince William’s Rumored Rivalry: Truth and Resolution

From the outside, King Charles III and William, Prince of Wales, have always appeared to enjoy a strong relationship. In reality, however, there was a time when the father and son were reportedly locked in a power struggle. According to a 2023 article in the Daily Beast, the supposed royal rivalry started because Prince William wanted to take on more responsibilities than his title actually required. A source informed the publication that although Charles was supportive of his eldest son’s desire to pave his own way in the world, he still wanted William to follow the same path he did.

“I am sure they will butt heads as Charles is allergic to anyone telling him what to do, and William is not exactly famed for his subtlety,” an ex-staffer at Buckingham Palace asserted. “But I think it is broadly seen as a productive rivalry, rather than a destructive one, because William respects his father’s ‘rank’ as head of The Firm.” Similar rumors of a feud brewing between the royals appeared in Omid Scobie’s 2023 book “Endgame.” A source told the journalist that Charles generally respected the way his mother ran the show.

In contrast, William wanted to assert a stronger sense of independence as quickly as possible and wasn’t willing to just sit back and let Charles have complete control over the monarchy. The controversial author also claimed that William didn’t want his father’s actions to negatively affect people’s perception of him. Thankfully, their rumored rivalry never became one of Charles’ messiest family feuds.

After the 2024 D-Day commemoration event, The Sunday Times reported that King Charles III and William’s rumored rivalry was a thing of the past. A confidant clarified that the king held his eldest son’s opinion in high regard and often asked William for his thoughts on handling issues arising from their discord with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. All those discussions had brought the father and son closer on a professional and personal level because they could process their fractured relationship with Harry together.

“The king sees his son as a useful ally on family matters and increasingly in discharging the duties of nation and state,” the insider confirmed. “When you are monarch, you’re thinking about performing your role for your country, not just as King Charles but as ‘the family.'” William has been a pillar of strength for his father and stays by his side through Charles’ cancer treatment. The rivalry may have ended because William allegedly has mixed feelings about his future ascension to the throne. A source told the Daily Beast that the prince’s top priority was his children, not the monarchy, despite suggestions otherwise.

In 2024, King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced they had both been diagnosed with cancer. The concurrent diagnoses marked a challenging phase for William in his personal life and work, as he faced possibly taking over the reins sooner than expected. In a 2024 article, The New York Times reported that William and Kate Middleton had to come to terms with not parenting their kids privately as they had always hoped. Additionally, William found the idea of ascension incredibly stressful.

To make matters worse, there weren’t many royals who could stand in for Charles, so William had to take on extra duties. However, Charles’ cancer diagnosis reportedly led the king to improve his relationships with both William and Prince Harry. A source explained to the Daily Beast, “[Charles is] a very warm man and worried endlessly about the impact of everything that happened in their childhoods on the boys, but the diagnosis has come as a huge shock, and instinctively something like this makes you appreciate and draw together with your family.”

Given all this, it’s unsurprising that, according to a friend of the prince, William and Charles are “closer now than they have ever been.” It certainly seems that the father and son’s rumored rivalry only brought them closer in the end.