King Charles and Prince William Bond Over ‘Tricky Family Issues’

William ‘very much wants’ to support Charles
The renewed closeness of King Charles and Prince William was revealed as father and son shared royal duties in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Sunday Times reports.

William stood in for his father Thursday at two events, including an international ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach.

As The Daily Beast previously reported, royal sources said a decision had been made for Charles to skip the large event in Normandy attended by other heads of state—including President Joe Biden—in order to “protect” his “continued recovery” from cancer.

A friend of the King says that in recent years Charles’s tendency to consult William on tricky family issues involving the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has helped to ease the anxieties of the past and boost their personal and working relationships,” the Sunday Times reported.

Despite missing the international event, Charles attended a D-Day ceremony earlier in the day honoring British troops.

“Eighty years ago on D-Day, the 6th of June 1944, our nation—and those which stood alongside it—faced what my grandfather, King George VI, described as the supreme test,” Charles said. “How fortunate we were—and the entire free world—that a generation of men and women in the United Kingdom and other allied nations did not flinch when the moment came to face that test.”

William, aware that he’s way more popular in opinion polls than his dad, has always been conscious of not “queering his father’s pitch,” friends tell the Sunday Times.

“If there was ever a green-eyed monster or a sense of rivalry between the two, that is a chapter of the past,” the friend of Charles told the paper. “The King sees his son as a useful ally on family matters and increasingly in discharging the duties of nation and state. When you are monarch, you’re not counting the column inches. You’re thinking about performing your role for your country, not just as King Charles but as ‘the family.’”

A source close to William told the Sunday Times: “He very much wants to support his father. That isn’t something new, but of course with everything the King is going through with his treatment, he will continue to support him as much as he can.” His visibility in Normandy, and proximity to global power players, also boosts William’s own international statesman profile.

Meanwhile, father and son will appear alongside one another at more events this summer, like the garter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, on June 17 and for a day’s racing at Royal Ascot later that week.

It’s just as well father and son are getting so well—the number of senior royals available for events has shrunk in recent years, following Harry and Meghan’s exit from their roles, and Prince Andrew’s sidelining following allegations of sexual assault and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Charles’ portrait may get some in-palace love
King Charles is so enamored with Jonathan Yeo’s controversial portrait of him that it may be going on display at Buckingham Palace. Depending on your view, the portrait looked great, or like the king was being consumed by hellish fire, or as if he was bobbing around in a watery tomato soup.

The Times reports there are plans for the portrait to go on display at the Palace for its summer opening months between July and the end of September.

The large painting features Charles in the garb of the Welsh Guards, holding a sword. Charles was appointed the Guards’ Regimental Colonel in 1975, with Prince William taking on the post in 2023.