King Charles planned special role for Prince Harry before becoming monarch

Prince Harry could have had an equally important role with his brother Prince William if he had stayed around a little longer.

King Charles did not initially anticipate his younger son to be estranged when he ascended to the throne. In fact, Harry held an important role in the monarchy.

According to Royal historian Dr Ed Owens, the Duke of Sussex ruined his father-son relationship with his bombshell memoir, Spare, leading their strained bond to be “beyond repair.”

“The story is a slightly tragic one as it has damaged this idea of a family monarchy,” Owens shared. “This idea that this is a united group who embody, if you like, the best of British family life.”

Owens continued, “Originally King Charles III's reign was going to be based around him being supported by his two trusty lieutenants — William and Harry. But when that went so disastrously wrong in early 2020 because of Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave Britain, it really put paid to that vision of the family monarchy.”

The historian also added that when the Sussexes “aired their dirty laundry in public for the best part of three years” this has “done much damage to that narrative of happy family life.”

Owens is of the view that King Charles is “uniquely placed because he knows first-hand that the ideal of the family rarely matches the reality of the family monarchy.”