The Duke of Sussex has been estranged from the British royal family since he made his exit in 2020 with Meghan Markle and moved to California
Prince Harry's jabs at Queen Camilla 'unforgivable' for King Charles: expert
Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," revealed how Prince Harry's tell-all "Spare" is still impacting his relationship with King Charles III, Prince William.
King Charles III is good at holding grudges.
The reigning British monarch is reportedly still unable to forgive his younger son, Prince Harry, for casting his true love, Queen Camilla, as the villain in his 2023 tell-all "Spare." And while the Duke of Sussex has reportedly been attempting to have peace talks with his family, his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
"I think people have to realize that the one thing that Charles finds unforgivable is criticism of Camilla," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," claimed to Fox News Digital.
Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital that King Charles III is still having a tough time forgiving his younger son Prince Harry for the comments he made about his stepmother Queen Camilla in "Spare." (ISABEL INFANTES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
"There’s no criticism of Camilla," Andersen claimed. "And unfortunately for Harry… Harry said some pretty devastating things about her. He made it clear that he felt she was… the villain in the piece. I think that still bothers the king, and I don’t know that it will be easy for him to [forgive]. I don’t think they’ll ever forgive Harry for that."
"[He’s] on his own," Andersen added, referring to the Duke of Sussex.
Harry, who has a strained relationship with his family, rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after the king, 75, was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned on May 6, 2023, in London, England. (P van Katwijk/Getty Images)
The prince, 39, has seen his father infrequently since he quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, citing what they said were unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. He has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir, which was published in January 2023.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
In televised interviews to promote the book, Harry accused his stepmother, 76, of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own reputation. He accused members of the royal family of getting "into bed with the devil" to gain favorable tabloid coverage, singling out Camilla’s efforts to rehabilitate her image with the public after her longtime affair with his father.
"That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press," Harry told CBS. "There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"Spare" was published in January 2023. A young Prince Harry is seen here with his mother, Princess Diana. (Vincenzo Izzo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The allegations about Camilla were particularly sensitive because of her role in the breakdown of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana, Harry’s mother.
The late Princess of Wales once described Camilla, who carried out a long-term affair with Charles, as the third person in their marriage. While many members of the public initially shunned Camilla, she has won fans by taking on a wide range of charitable activities and has been credited with helping Charles appear less stuffy and more in tune with modern Britain.
Christopher Andersen's book, "The King," is available now. (Gallery Books)
Writing about his father’s 2005 wedding to Camilla, Harry says: "I had complex feelings about gaining a stepparent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar." Still, he says he wanted his father to be happy. "In a funny way, I even wanted Camilla to be happy. Maybe she’d be less dangerous if she was happy?"
Christopher Andersen claimed that Prince Harry still "resents" Queen Camilla. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
Andersen claimed that Harry still "resents" Camilla.
"[Prince William and Prince Harry] didn’t want their father to marry Camilla," said Andersen. "They tried to talk him out of it… they had to put on a public face of acceptance. It took Charles forever, for decades, to get his mother to accept Camilla as his future bride. It was actually during the 2002 Trooping the Colour events that [Queen Elizabeth II] started to crack a little bit, and she allowed Camilla to appear with the royal family for the first time. And later, during the Diamond Jubilee… because Prince Philip was ill briefly with pneumonia, the queen allowed Camilla to ride with her in the royal carriage."
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend day one of Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2024, in Ascot, England. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
"It was obvious at that point that the queen had decided to put aside her past feelings and accept Camilla into the royal family," Andersen continued. "The king pressured the queen for so long, and in so many ways, to accept Camilla… We have to remember, he promised he would never make Camilla queen. And I think that’s one thing that still bothers both Harry and William.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
From left: The former Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and son Prince Harry watch the flypast over The Mall of British and US World War II aircraft from the Buckingham Palace balcony on National Commemoration Day on July 10, 2005, in London. (Getty Images)
"It’s unfortunate that Charles… promised he would never make Camilla queen. [He felt] that the way the people felt about Diana, they would never allow him to crown her by his side. But that’s exactly what he did. So, in that sense, I think both William and Harry feel a sense of betrayal to this day on that issue."
Andersen said that there’s one person Harry will have an especially hard time making peace with — and it’s not his father or stepmother.
Prince Harry is seen here seated far apart from his brother Prince William. (Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"I really do think that the hardest nut to crack in this whole scenario is William," Andersen claimed. "He has taken [what Harry wrote about him] very, very personally. And he’s [very] moody. I think he’s probably the moodiest… although he is incredibly charming. Obviously, he has great people skills. But behind the scenes, I think he’s really rock hard in his feelings about things, and it’s very hard for him to change his ways."
Christopher Andersen claimed that Prince Harry will have a hard time winning over Prince William. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
In "Spare," Harry details his sibling rivalry with William, who is heir to the British throne.
According to Harry, the brothers had a ferocious argument in 2019 at Kensington Palace. At the time, Harry claimed William called Meghan "difficult," "rude" and "abrasive." Harry said William grabbed him by the collar and ripped his necklace before knocking him down.
"I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me," Harry wrote.
Prince Harry's relationship with Prince William has reportedly been strained since even before he moved to California in 2020. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Andersen told Fox News Digital that it would be easier for Charles to "forgive" Harry even after making comments about Camilla than William.
"Look, I think if William could find a way to build a bridge of some sort… Harry, I think, is certainly hoping that at some point, the olive branch he has repeatedly extended to his brother and father will be accepted," said Andersen. "But it hasn’t happened yet, and I don’t think it’s going to happen in the foreseeable future.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are seen here during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2024, in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
"Don’t forget, William is facing this horrible crisis too with [his wife] Kate’s illness. He… doesn’t have the bandwidth, I don’t think at this point, to suddenly start grappling with the issue of his brother."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
