Charles Spencer Sets the Record Straight on Whose Side He’s On in William and Harry’s Rift
Charles Spencer has finally spoken about which nephew's side he is on after months of speculation.
After any relationship breaks down, a common question is who will take whose side. In Prince William and Prince Harry’s rift, it seemed the royal family backed their future king, while the Spencers were in the latter’s corner. But that may not entirely be the case, as the estranged siblings’ uncle, Charles Spencer, recently gave his take on the matter.
Over the past week, the Earl has been doing a round of interviews for his upcoming book on Princess Diana and has revealed some explosive details about her relationship with King Charles. However, when asked about the notorious fallout between his royal nephews, Spencer took a restrained stance, refuting a widespread belief about where his loyalties lie. “I think there is a perception in the media that I am on Harry’s side. Well, I’m on my deceased sister’s sons’ side, both of them,” he stated via HELLO!
When Harry and Meghan Markle visited the UK this past July, they went to Diana’s grave at Althorp with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The property was closed to the public for two days, reportedly to accommodate the Sussexes’ visit. Since the Duke had also stayed at the Spencer family estate during prior trips across the pond, these instances led people to believe Diana’s family had taken Harry’s side in his conflict with the monarchy. However, the Earl clarified that "if either of them wanted anything,” he would be “equally there for them.” He added, “I never get involved in one camp or the other, except as a benign figure, I hope.”
It is no secret that growing up, William and Harry were extremely close, standing by each other through some of life's most traumatic experiences. But several years ago, the once-ideal relationship cracked open, and it has not been the same since. Talking to interviewer Laura Kuenssberg, Spencer claimed that there were a “lot of reasons on both sides” why the two brothers “got to this stage.”
He hoped that one day their conflict would be “resolved” but refused to interfere in the matter. However, he did express what Diana would have wanted. “I don't know all. I certainly don't know what’s been done in the finer detail, and so I would feel intrusive if I got more involved than to say, of course a mother would want her two sons to be happy together and love each other,” he said.
In recent times, Harry also seems to have mended his relationship with his father. Not only did the Sussexes meet Charles privately at Highgrove in July, but the King also stepped in to persuade Uganda to rejoin the Invictus Games earlier this month.
