Prince William's Dedication to One Thing Annoys King Charles

Prince William and King Charles wearing ceremonial robes and military medals

(Image credit: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images)

published 13 September 2025

As the monarch and the heir apparent, King Charles and Prince William occupy two incredibly important roles within the British Royal Family. However, one royal expert has claimed that the relationship between father and son isn't always smooth sailing. In fact, it's even been alleged that Charles is low-key "irritated" by some of the Prince of Wales's choices.

Writing on her Substack Fresh Hell, royal expert and biographer Tina Brown claimed (via the Daily Mail), "Somehow, William's parenting dedication always seems couched as a tacit criticism of The King's own paternal deficiencies."

Brown also alleged that Prince William's seemingly frequent vacations have only annoyed the monarch further. "And after five confirmed family vacations in the past seven months, William's first-week-back diary pulsated with two outings: a father-daughter excursion to a Women's Rugby World Cup pool match and a stroll through the Natural History Museum's new gardens," Brown wrote. "Charles, despite his battle with cancer, has carried out official engagements on 175 days during the past 12 months."

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry attend the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on September 10, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Thomas/Getty Images for Jaguar Land Rover) — "William's parenting dedication always seems couched as a tacit criticism."

Brown isn't the first royal expert to mention the alleged difficulties in William and Charles's relationship. In November 2024, an Us Weekly report suggested that Charles was unhappy with the way William was operating. "Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades," a source claimed, "Even though he's battling cancer, he's not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader."

The source alleged that there was "occasional tension" between Charles and William, particularly as the Prince of Wales had already begun "preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens." The source explained, "It's a sensitive topic."

King Charles wears a brown overcoat and laughs alongside Kate Middleton, who wears a red coat with a tartan scarf, and Prince William — "It's a sensitive topic."

One of Us Weekly's sources also suggested that William and Charles are "rivals when it comes to work," which might explain the most recent report regarding The King's alleged irritation.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.