King Charles III and Prince William are closer than ever amid friction with other members of the royal family, sources have claimed.
The King is said to have dispelled any notions of rivalry with his eldest son, who was front and center at D-Day commemoration events this week as both the monarch and Kate, Princess of Wales, continue their respective treatments against the cancer.
Duties are being divided among a dwindling number of working royals due to health concerns, Harry and Meghan’s departure from the UK to the US and Prince Andrew’s withdrawal from public life in middle of a scandal.
As a result, William found his schedule full of public engagements, most notably in France this week, where he joined leaders from around the world, including US President Joe Biden, to remember the fall of D-Day.
Sources have suggested that Charles would not once have liked to allow his son to be more visible in public, but with cancer treatment and the dwindling number of royals at his disposal, he has been happy to change your way of thinking.
A friend of the king says that in recent years, Charles has consulted his son on complicated family issues involving the likes of Prince Andrew, Harry and Meghan. His joint efforts to address these issues are said to have boosted both their personal and work relationship.
King Charles III and his son Prince William, Prince of Wales, as William was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps last month.
William has been front and center representing Britain during D-Day commemorations in France this week (pictured with US President Joe Biden)
William is believed to have been a source of advice to the King on family matters involving his brother Andrew (left) and son Harry (right).
Prince William, King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the UK’s national commemoration event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, in Portsmouth on June 5.
The King and Queen then attended the first part of an event in Normandy on June 6, before returning home to the UK.
William was in his element filling in for his father, speaking to veterans in northern France after Charles returned home.
“If there was ever a green-eyed monster or a feeling of rivalry between the two, that’s a chapter of the past,” the friend said. The times.
“The King sees his son as a useful ally in family matters and increasingly in the discharge of the duties of nation and state.”
A source close to William added: ‘He really wants to support his father. That’s not 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.’
Charles was not completely absent from this week’s commemorative events in Normandy. He and the Queen attended a memorial ceremony on Friday in Ver-sur-Mer alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
But William was front and center as colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, whose tie he wore. Ironically, the AAC trained Prince Harry as an Apache helicopter pilot.
However, the king’s youngest son was not present in France for the memorial services, despite his widespread and highly publicized support for military veterans through the Invictus Games and associated charities.
Observers have suggested there is still a rift between Harry and his father, as well as the rest of the royal family, following his decision to step down from frontline royal duties.
The friction was only exacerbated by a series of television interviews featuring slights towards the family and Harry’s autobiography, Spare, which contained details about his strained relationship with his older brother.
Harry didn’t see his father when he was last in London in May for an Invictus Games ceremony, despite being just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, where a garden party was taking place around the same time.
However, he briefly saw the king in February, shortly after the monarch’s cancer diagnosis became public.
William looked like a statesman when he replaced his father in Normandy (pictured)
Prince Andrew was seen riding a horse this week with a boyfriend in the grounds of Windsor Castle. He is believed to be resisting attempts to evict him from the Royal Lodge.
Andrew has largely retreated from public life following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal (pictured in 2022).
Harry (pictured here last month) did not see his father on his last visit to London.
Meanwhile, William was seen speaking to D-Day veterans on June 6, telling a hero that Kate “would have loved” to have attended the 80th anniversary ceremonies.
The Prince of Wales is also believed to have been a valuable source of advice to the King, as Charles attempted to address the other elephant in the room: his younger brother Prince Andrew.
Charles is currently at odds with Andrew over his residence at the Royal Lodge. The Duke of York has been living in a £30million house, largely removed from public life following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
He is believed to be resisting the idea of moving into the small Frogmore Cottage that Harry and Meghan once called home.
But Charles is believed to have threatened to cut ties with Andrew completely unless he consented, and William is believed to be prepared to move in his place.
Such a fight would see Andrew accused of paying for his own security, accommodation and lifestyle without an actual allowance. Recent images have suggested that the Royal Lodge has fallen into disrepair under the Duke’s command.
With William there to serve as a sounding board and with his cancer treatment ongoing, it’s no surprise that the Prince of Wales is playing a larger role in top royal duties on behalf of and alongside his father.
He will go behind his father’s carriage in a modified review of the troops during Trooping the Color; Later this month she will also join his father at the garter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and at Royal Ascot for a day at the races.
He will also attend the next state banquet hosted for the Emperor and Empress of Japan on June 25, giving him, as his father had done before him, further training in the world’s most high-profile apprenticeship.
MailOnline attempted to contact Buckingham Palace for comment.
