King Charles found Princess Diana's style of parenting 'rather difficult' after traditional upbringing

May 23, 2026 - 18:14

A former royal protection officer has claimed that King Charles found the parenting style of his late ex-wife, Princess Diana, to be "rather difficult" to accept. Ken Wharfe, who served as Diana's personal protection officer, offered new insight into the stark differences between how the Prince and Princess of Wales raised their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

According to Wharfe, Charles was raised in a traditional and formal royal household, where emotional restraint was the norm. Diana, by contrast, was the "complete opposite" of what the Royal Family were used to. She was openly affectionate with her boys, took them on casual outings to fast-food restaurants and amusement parks, and prioritized a sense of normalcy away from palace protocol.

Wharfe suggested that this hands-on, modern approach clashed with Charles's own upbringing and his expectations for royal children. While Diana wanted William and Harry to experience life outside the gilded cage of monarchy, Charles reportedly found her methods unconventional and challenging to reconcile with his own sense of duty and tradition. The comments shed light on the deep personal and philosophical divide that existed between the couple, long before their highly publicized separation and divorce.