EXCLUSIVE: King Charles' 'Cold' Harry Relationship Challenged by Royal Ex-Girlfriend
King Charles' 'cold' relationship with Harry has been challenged by a royal ex-girlfriend.
Aug. 13 2026, Published 3:29 p.m. ET
King Charles has been defended against Prince Harry's portrayal of him as a distant father – with a former royal girlfriend revealing she witnessed a dramatically different relationship behind palace doors.
RadarOnline.com can reveal actress and singer Ruthie Henshall, 59, who dated Charles' youngest brother, Prince Edward, 62, for almost five years, spent time with senior royals at Balmoral.
Playful Balmoral Recollections
Ruthie Henshall defended King Charles against claims that he was a distant father.
She has now recalled seeing Charles enthusiastically playing with Prince William, 44, and Harry, 41, as children in her memoir The Showgirl And The Prince – an account of good times which contrasts starkly with Harry's description of his father's parenting in his memoir Spare.
A royal source exclusively told Radar Henshall's recollections illustrate how differently Charles' relationship with his sons could appear to those witnessing the family privately.
The palace insider said: "Nobody is trying to tell Harry that his memories of childhood are wrong. Those are his experiences and he is entitled to explain how certain moments made him feel. But his recollections aren't the only firsthand accounts of what Charles was like as a father when William and Harry were growing up.
"There were people around the family who witnessed a much warmer and more playful side of Charles than the emotionally distant figure readers might take away from parts of Spare.
"Behind closed doors, Charles could be incredibly affectionate with the boys. There was laughter, chasing around corridors, physical play, and those ordinary moments between a father and his children that the public rarely had any opportunity to see.
"Charles was also raised in an environment and generation where emotions weren't necessarily expressed through long conversations or constant verbal reassurance. He could undoubtedly be reserved and awkward about discussing feelings, but people who knew the family would argue that shouldn't automatically be interpreted as meaning he didn't demonstrate love in other ways."
A Nuanced Father-Son Bond
Henshall previously dated Prince Edward for five years and spent time at Balmoral Castle.
The palace insider added: "That's what makes Ruthie's recollection particularly significant. She wasn't relying on something somebody else told her – she was describing a scene she personally witnessed at Balmoral, with Charles playing rough and tumble with William and Harry while the boys were apparently squealing with happiness.
"It doesn't invalidate Harry's account, but it does add another dimension to it. The relationship between Charles and his sons was clearly more nuanced than the idea that he was simply a cold, permanently detached father who struggled to show them affection.
"Like most complicated family relationships, there were evidently very different moments at different stages. Ruthie's memories provide a glimpse of the happier, more affectionate side of that relationship – one that largely unfolded privately and therefore wasn't necessarily visible to the outside world."
Recalling watching Charles playing with his sons at the royal family's Scottish residence, Henshall wrote in her newly released autobiography: "I watched Charles playing rough and tumble with William and Harry (then aged 10 and eight) in the Balmoral corridors. He clearly loved those boys, and they were squealing with joy as daddy chased them."
Contrasting Accounts In 'Spare'
Harry acknowledged finding affectionate notes left by Charles under his pillow as a child.
Harry offered a brutally different recollection in Spare.
He wrote: "Pa didn't hug me."
Harry also described Charles as "a bit checked out," claiming his father "had trouble communicating, trouble listening, trouble being intimate face-to-face."
The duke nevertheless recalled finding letters from Charles on his pillow praising his achievements.
Harry wrote: "I'd smile, place it under my pillow, but also wonder why he hadn't said this moments ago, while seated directly across from me."
Ongoing Efforts Toward Reconciliation
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Harry recently visited Highgrove with Meghan Markle and their children to see Charles
The contrasting accounts have emerged as Harry attempts to continue rebuilding his relationship with Charles.
Sources told Radar organizers of next summer's Invictus Games in Birmingham are expected to invite the King to either the opening or closing ceremony and potentially other sporting events.
Harry recently met Charles alongside his wife Meghan Markle, 45, and their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Queen Camilla, 79, was also present for the family gathering, which followed years of limited contact after Harry and Markle dramatically quit being working royals and relocated to the US.
