King Charles ‘Criticized’ by Senior Royals Over Harry and Andrew ‘Spectacle,’ New Book Claims
Tom Bower pulls back the curtain on the internal friction and criticism King Charles faces over his approach to royal outcasts.
The crown may be a symbol of stability, but behind the palace gates, the atmosphere is anything but calm. A bombshell new book reveals that King Charles is facing internal pressure—with senior royals allegedly criticizing his ‘dithering’ approach to controversies involving Prince Harry and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In his latest biography, titled Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family, Tom Bower paints a portrait of a “seemingly rudderless court” struggling to manage the reputational fallout from the sovereign’s son and brother. The stakes couldn’t be higher, with the royal author suggesting that Charles’ indecision has brought the institution to a breaking point that threatens the very future of the monarchy.
In his book, Bower has focused heavily on the period leading up to the King’s coronation in May 2023. While the world watched the historic spectacle, the royal author claims a storm was brewing within the palace walls as high-ranking members of the Firm grew increasingly frustrated with the King’s perceived lack of leadership. “Charles was criticised by some senior members of the Establishment for failing to resolve conclusively the embarrassments presented by Harry and Andrew,” Bower penned, suggesting that the King's ‘reticence’ on the matter was a brutal blow to the ‘Crown’s reputation.’ He continued, “By failing to consider properly the consequences of the princes’ actions for the future of the monarchy, Charles rightly questioned his own and Camilla’s popularity.”
A crisis of confidence was fueled by public distaste for the actions of Harry and Mountbatten-Windsor, and according to Bower, Charles’ slow response only deepened the damage. While the King was allegedly not ready to have the tough conversations—the same cannot be said about his heir, Prince William. Bower claims that while the monarch was hesitant to strip his disgraced brother of his status, it was the Prince of Wales who stepped in to force the issue. The royal author described Charles as being “ill-equipped to manage his brother,” alleging that it was only when “William heaped pressure on his father” that the former duke finally surrendered his military titles and patronages.
King Charles isn’t the only one in Bower’s crosshairs; the author is currently locked in a back-and-forth spat with the Sussexes after he made a series of controversial allegations against the couple in his new book. From Markle wanting to be ‘treated as god’ to Queen Camilla allegedly blaming the Duchess for ‘brainwashing’ Harry—the bombshell revelations did not sit well with the California-based couple. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess soon issued a brutal rebuttal to Bower’s work, accusing him of an obsessive vendetta against them. The statement read, “Mr. Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation… Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
As Charles continues his reign amidst personal health battles and family fractures, his new critics are the senior members of the institution who believe that the King’s soft approach toward the family’s prodigal sons has left the monarchy vulnerable. With Mountbatten-Windsor remaining a figure of public scrutiny and Harry’s relationship with the Palace still icy, the monarch’s 'reticence' remains at the center of the royal debate.
