Are Princes William and Harry more sensitive fathers than their dad? Inside three generations of British royal parenting, from Prince Philip to today

Sep 21 , 2021

Royal fatherhood, then and now: Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth with Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and Prince William with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Photos: AP, @dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram

Prince Harry, dad of Archie and Lilibet with Meghan Markle, told Oprah that bike rides with his son are a highlight of his new life in the US

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip left Prince Charles’ upbringing to nannies, while Prince William and Kate Middleton are more hands-on parents to their three kids

The lives of British royals are vastly different from ordinary people, from having to adhere to strict rules and protocols, to enjoying the sort of wealth that most of us can only dream of. Of course, they have unique childhoods too, but royal parenting has evolved over the years – particularly for the men in the family.

We take a look at three generations of British royal fatherhood, from Prince Philip to Prince Charles to Prince William and Prince Harry.

Prince Philip

In an authorised biography of Prince Charles, author Jonathan Dimbleby wrote that Charles was mostly raised by nannies and staff.

Prince Charles was born in 1948, four years before his mother, then Princess Elizabeth, became queen.

“Such an upbringing was by no means rare in those days (at least in those households that could afford the appropriate staff),” Dimbleby wrote in Prince of Wales: A Biography. “Although Prince Charles was not starved of parental affection, it was inevitably the nursery staff (interpreting the will of their employers) who taught him to play, who witnessed his first steps, who punished and rewarded him, who helped him put his first thoughts into words.”

Prince Philip with a young Prince Charles in 1951. Photo: @OfficialSMPak/Twitter

Prince Philip and Prince Charles’ father-son relationship wasn’t always easy.

Prince Philip saw that Charles attended his former school, Gordonstoun in Scotland, which was far from the family’s home. Charles reportedly had a tough experience at the school.