King Charles ‘tried his best’ with Prince William, Harry after Diana’s death

King Charles reportedly ‘tried his best’ to be an ‘amazing’ single parent to his sons Prince William and Prince Harry after the death of their mother and his ex-wife Princess Diana in 1997.

Prince Harry famously told Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that he had been ‘let down’ by his father Charles, but royal expert Katie Nicholl has defended the 74-year-old monarch’s parenting style, especially as he dealt with media scrutiny after Diana’s death.

Talking to OK! Magazine, Nicholl said: “Charles did an amazing job at being a single dad. It’s so hard for anyone who’s not been in that situation to imagine what it’s like…”

“… Not least with the glare of the world’s media on you, assessing how good you are, how much you’re around, how in touch you are with your teenage children,” she added.

Nicholl then pointed out that King Charles trials as a single parent were even more pronounced as he navigated raising his teenage sons in full view of the world; Prince William and Harry were just 15 and 12 years old when Diana passed away.

“Charles went through many of the ups and downs many parents face – Harry coming off the rails, underage drinking – and he dealt with it. He tried his best in a very difficult situation,” Nicholl explained.

“He took – and still takes – his role as father very seriously and it might be a different style of parenting but equally loving, totally devoted and committed. Everyone I’ve spoken to for my forthcoming book The New Royals was keen to stress he’s been a brilliant dad to William and Harry,” Nicholl concluded.

The comments come just months before Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare comes out in January, 2023; the book reportedly could have the Duke of Sussex diving in deeper into his rift with the royal family, with royal fans worried that he may further sully King Charles and his brother Prince William.