Queen Elizabeth reportedly gave her and Prince Philip's four children different amounts of love and attention. The late monarch became a sweeter and more loving mom to her two younger children, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. She was reportedly different to King Charles and Princess Anne.
Queen Elizabeth Sweeter To Prince Andrew And Prince Edward, Treated King Charles And Princess Anne Differently?
Christopher Andersen wrote a new book titled The King: The Life of Charles III. In the excerpt obtained by Express, the author quoted a cousin of the late Queen, who claimed that King Charles felt "unwanted" growing up.
"The Queen treated Andrew and Edward very differently than she did Charles and Anne," the cousin said. "She was very affectionate toward the two younger ones, especially Edward."
The source speculated that the changes in the Queen's parenting style could probably be due to her duties. King Charles was still a child when the Queen ascended the throne due to the sudden death of her father, King George. However, she had already served the monarchy for a couple of years when she welcomed her two youngest sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
"Perhaps by that time she felt more comfortable in her role as Queen," the insider continued.
Aside from the Queen's cousin, a Buckingham Palace source noticed the changes in the Queen's parenting style after she gave birth to Prince Edward.
It was "as if a switch had gone off, and suddenly there she was, a loving, caring mum," Andersen wrote.
"Too late for Charles and Anne, sadly," an unnamed source added.
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King Charles Felt Abandoned, Had Heartbreaking Lonely Childhood, According To A New Book
Andersen told Us Weekly that the new monarch had a "heartbreaking lonely childhood." He reportedly often felt abandoned by his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, because much of his time was spent away at boarding school.
"There was never a cozy relationship between Charles and the queen," Andersen explained. "That's because the [royal] family is not set up to be cozy."
It reportedly took decades for King Charles to work on his tense relationship with his own mother. However, years before Queen Elizabeth passed away, the mother and son enjoyed a better relationship.
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"The queen and Charles grew closer as she grew white [and] old, and as he grew" into his emerging role at the palace, the author added.
King Charles seemingly followed his mother's parenting style and applied it to his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, the two princes were warmly embraced by their mom Princess Diana, who wanted to give them a normal childhood.
The Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales were not as close to their father emotionally compared to their mom. However, when the late Princess of Wales passed away, they grew close to King Charles.
Unfortunately, Prince Harry has a strained relationship with his father and brother at present. But his decision to leave the palace has reportedly brought the king and the heir apparent closer.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry.