(Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
King Charles has reportedly issued a deeply personal warning to his eldest son, Prince William, urging him not to repeat the biggest regret of his own life.
“Please don’t make the same big mistake that I made,” the King told William, according to a royal insider speaking to Radar Online. Charles, 75, is said to regret not prioritizing his family during William and Prince Harry’s childhood, admitting that royal duties often overshadowed his role as a father.
“I was so consumed by my royal responsibilities that I didn’t make enough room for my family but William has managed to do that,” the King reportedly shared with the Prince of Wales.
William, 42, has become widely recognized for putting his family first, even as he steps further into the role of heir to the throne. He shares three children with Princess Kate Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—and has made their well-being a priority.
The Prince of Wales notably reduced his royal duties in 2024 to support Kate during her cancer treatment, spending much of his time at home in Windsor to ensure their children’s lives remained as stable as possible.
Grant Harrold, King Charles’ former butler, praised William for his approach to fatherhood, calling it a turning point for the monarchy.
“I think for the first time ever you’ve got a King, who I think deep down if his boys need him, he would probably put them before the Crown,” Harrold, 46, said. “That’s what I believe, and that’s the first time that would ever have happened in the history of the monarchy.”
King Charles’ own distant parenting style has been described publicly, most notably by Prince Harry in his memoir Spare. Harry reflected that his father “wasn’t the kind of father who played endless rounds of tag or tossed a ball until long after dark,” reinforcing the King’s admitted regrets.
For Charles, this heartfelt plea to William appears to be part of an effort to break the cycle of duty over family a pattern that has long defined the royal household. William’s modern approach, blending family life with royal responsibility, suggests he has already learned from his father’s mistakes.
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