King Charles Regrets Going Along With Princess Diana's Parenting Style For Prince William, Harry: Royal Expert
King Charles wished he had brought up his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, using a different parenting style, according to a royal expert.
Princess Diana tried to give the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex a normal childhood. However, the British monarch reportedly regretted following this parenting style, according to Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer and editor of Majesty magazine.
"Prince Harry and King Charles were very, very close," Seward told Fox News Digital. "They got on incredibly well. I think Charles probably regrets that he wasn't strict with Harry and [his older son] William."
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Princess Diana was with the kids growing up and gave them what normal children enjoyed, like McDonald's. However, His Majesty allegedly wished his two sons were brought up differently.
"He went on with [Princess] Diana's freestyle of bringing up children," Seward continued. "Diana allowed them to do, more or less, what they wanted, which was very fashionable in those days. You let children just get on with things. I think Charles probably regrets that he wasn't a bit stricter because it might've given both boys a few more boundaries."
The late Princess of Wales ditched the way a royal household would train a child. She was more hands-on and would prioritize playtime and impromptu trips with them. She was also reportedly attentive to their emotions. On the other hand, King Charles was raised in a traditional royal household where things were kept more formal with children.
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Princess Diana's parenting was relatable to normal households. In Tom Quinn's book "Gilded Youth," the author quoted several Palace aides who witnessed Princess Diana's parenting style, including Darren McGrady, a former Palace chef. McGrady recounted when Princess Diana canceled their lunch for the kids to enjoy McDonald's instead.
"I remember the Princess came into the kitchen one day and said, 'Cancel lunch for the boys. I'm taking them out. We're going to McDonald's,'" McGrady said, per Marie Claire. "And I said, 'Oh my God, Your Royal Highness, I can do that. I can do burgers.' And she said, 'No, it's the toy they want.'"
He added, "Yeah, the boys loved McDonald's and going out to pizza, and having potato skins -- sort of the American foods. They were royal princes but had children's palates."
Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler, echoed the same observation. According to him, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry would bond on Big Macs while watching "Blind Date."
"The three of them would nip to McDonald's for burger and fries before coming back to watch 'Blind Date,'" Burrell said. "All three of them would squat on this massive, stuffed hippopotamus Diana had in her sitting room."
