Eamonn Holmes praises William for ‘smacking’ Harry

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In his memoir, Spare, which hit shelves on Tuesday, Prince Harry recalls he and his older brother begging their father not to remarry after the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. The Duke of Sussex admits to wondering whether Camilla Parker Bowles would one day be their “wicked stepmother,” but goes on to say he and Prince William were willing to forgive her in “their hearts” if she could make their father happy. However, while the brothers allegedly promised then-Prince Charles to welcome his girlfriend into the family, they requested that he not marry her. According to Harry, he and William “begged” Charles not to marry Camilla but the now-King did not respond.

As it is known now, Charles and Camilla did get married. The pair wed in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in April 2005, becoming the Duchy and Duchess of Cornwall and following the death of Queen Elizabeth and the accession of her eldest son, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

“When the wedding did finally take place — without Granny, who chose not to attend — it was almost cathartic for everyone, even me,” Harry writes. “Standing near the altar I mostly kept my head bowed, eyes on the floor, just as I had during Mummy’s funeral, but I did sneak several long peeks at the groom and the bride and each time I thought: Good for you. Though, also: Goodbye.”

Harry goes on to explain he thought he and his brother would see less of their father after the nuptials, but insisted he wanted the newlyweds to be “happy,” musing: “Maybe she’d [Camilla] be less dangerous if she was happy?”

The Prince does not delve into William’s feelings following the union, but other royal authors have previously alleged that the older Prince had a more emotional reaction.

In his book Battle of the Brothers, Robert Lacey recalled Camilla being taken aback by William’s “ranting and raving” when she and Charles wed.

He alleges that in the years following the wedding, Camilla confided her surprise to her family and close friends at the “unexpected” side of her stepson. “‘The boy’s got a temper!’” Mr Lacey quoted the now-Queen Consort as saying.

The author alleged: “Camilla had been horrified by the ranting and raving that William could unleash on occasions against her husband — letting rip with no apparent inhibition in her presence.

“The rows had been earth-shattering, by her account, with William doing the shouting and Charles submitting meekly.”

“In William’s kingdom, everything had to be perfect,” the author continued, “and if his father has failed in some way to live up to his elder son’s elevated view of what being royal entails, the young man would release his fury.”

Mr Lacey later insists that in recent years the father and son have “grown much closer”, noting the Royal Family’s disagreements and the departure of Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.

He wrote claimed William and Charles “clearly appreciate the need to work closely together for the future of the monarchy,” and asserted: “Their father-son spats are said to be episodes in the past.”

Following Charles’ accession to the throne, royal author Katie Nicholl claimed the new monarch and his heir apparent had put aside any friction, improving their relationship for the sake of the monarchy.

“I actually think the dynamic between King Charles and William, now heir to the throne, is actually a really good dynamic,” she told an episode of Palace Confidential in October 2022. “I’m told they speak almost daily on the phone. This is a relationship that we know has had tensions in the past. They are very aligned.”

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Ms Nicholl, who penned The New Royals and William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls, continued: “They’re absolutely aligned on the Andrew front, they’re aligned on the streamlined monarchy…I’m told sovereignty is what absolutely brought them together.

“They’re totally aligned on the future of the monarchy. Charles made it very clear in his very first address to the nation that he was going to serve for his life.”

In his first speech as monarch, Charles announced William and his wife Kate’s new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales, assuring the nation the couple would “continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given”.

Similarly, the King praised his eldest son during his Christmas address last month — an unusual addition to the British monarch’s annual speech.

Referring to Kate and William’s first visit to Swansea since they acquired their new titles, Charles said: “The Prince and Princess of Wales recently visited Wales, shining a light on practical examples of this community spirit.”

Russell Myers, royal editor at the Daily Mirror and co-host of the Pod Save The King podcast, noted how the King’s speech differed from his late mother’s, pointing out that Charles stood rather than sat and was not surrounded by photographs of the family as Queen Elizabeth II often was.

He added: “It’s quite rare for them [monarchs] to mention members of the family…And doing it sort of sets him up — this is more of a team affair. It has to be more collegiate. It has to be a period of unity for the family.”

Battle of the Brothers was written by Robert Lacey and published by William Collins. You can find it here.

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