As the monarch and the heir apparent, King Charles and Prince William occupy two incredibly important roles within the British Royal Family. However, one royal expert has claimed that the relationship between father and son isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, it’s even been alleged that Charles is low-key “irritated” by some of the Prince of Wales’s choices.

Writing on her Substack Fresh Hell, royal expert and biographer Tina Brown claimed (via the Daily Mail), “Somehow, William’s parenting dedication always seems couched as a tacit criticism of The King‘s own paternal deficiencies.”

Brown also alleged that Prince William‘s seemingly frequent vacations have only annoyed the monarch further. “And after five confirmed family vacations in the past seven months, William’s first-week-back diary pulsated with two outings: a father-daughter excursion to a Women’s Rugby World Cup pool match and a stroll through the Natural History Museum‘s new gardens,” Brown wrote. “Charles, despite his battle with cancer, has carried out official engagements on 175 days during the past 12 months.”

Brown isn’t the first royal expert to mention the alleged difficulties in William and Charles’s relationship. In November 2024, an Us Weekly report suggested that Charles was unhappy with the way William was operating. “Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades,” a source claimed, “Even though he’s battling cancer, he’s not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader.”

The source alleged that there was “occasional tension” between Charles and William, particularly as the Prince of Wales had already begun “preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens.” The source explained, “It’s a sensitive topic.”

One of Us Weekly‘s sources also suggested that William and Charles are “rivals when it comes to work,” which might explain the most recent report regarding The King’s alleged irritation.