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"But single-parenthood? Pa was never made for that. To be fair, he tried."

36 replies

lohasmohas · 09/01/2023 08:18

Prince Harry said in an audio recording of his book: "He’d always given an air of not being quite ready for parenthood: the responsibilities, the patience, the time.

"Even he, though a proud man, would have admitted as much.

"But single-parenthood? Pa was never made for that. To be fair, he tried."

I AM SPEECHLESS. WHO IS ACTUALLY MADE OUT FOR SINGLE PARENTHOOD?

OP posts:
kirinm · 09/01/2023 09:43

Errr. Some people (most) just get on with being a single parent . You don't actually have a choice. Evidently Charles was a shit single parent.

kirinm · 09/01/2023 09:44

YOU DO NOT APPEAR TO BE SPEECHLESS AT ALL

x2boys · 09/01/2023 09:50

lohasmohas · 09/01/2023 08:18

Prince Harry said in an audio recording of his book: "He’d always given an air of not being quite ready for parenthood: the responsibilities, the patience, the time.

"Even he, though a proud man, would have admitted as much.

"But single-parenthood? Pa was never made for that. To be fair, he tried."

I AM SPEECHLESS. WHO IS ACTUALLY MADE OUT FOR SINGLE PARENTHOOD?

Obviously he wasn't your typical single parent
but it must have been hugely difficult guiding two.hugely traumatised young adolescent,s through losing their mother in such an horrific and public death ,sudden death is incredibly difficult in any situation,but the fact it was so public must have made it.infinitely harder.

Parts · 09/01/2023 09:53

'To be fair, he tried.' Is one of the snidest, passive aggressive, back-handed compliments ever.

Echobelly · 09/01/2023 10:00

And also that Charles had been parented in the dysfunctional Royal way, ie bought up by nannies with minimal parental involvement or warmth. So yes, I'd say he was especially poorly qualified to be a sole parent.

longwayoff · 09/01/2023 10:01

Weren't the brothers mostly brought up by nannies and schools? A lot of hands off parenting. Hardly surprised by the results.

Echobelly · 09/01/2023 10:01

I don't think saying he tried is been snide, it's just acknowledging his father didn't do nothing about being a parent, and wasn't negligent, he just didn't really know what to do.

TeenDivided · 09/01/2023 10:05

What I think is missing from a lot of these discussions is why Charles was like he was.
The Duke of Edinburgh had a very disrupted childhood. I suspect he didn't know how to 'Father' very well.

crumpet · 09/01/2023 10:10

Both the boys were away at boarding school at the time. Charles probably not great at clearing his schedules to make sure he was around during the holidays, but he did employ Tiggy especially to be a younger, more active companion to the boys which shows he at least had an appreciation of trying to meet their needs.

x2boys · 09/01/2023 10:12

TeenDivided · 09/01/2023 10:05

What I think is missing from a lot of these discussions is why Charles was like he was.
The Duke of Edinburgh had a very disrupted childhood. I suspect he didn't know how to 'Father' very well.

Not sure the Queen was the best example of maternal loving mother either ,although I realise becoming The monarch at such a young age doesn't leave much time for small children.

clyspa · 09/01/2023 10:37

I don't think we can underestimate that up until really recently we had two people (Queen and DoE) centre stage to the family/monarchy who were brought up in a really different time.

When the Queen became a mother her grandmother was still going around looking like Violet from Downton Abbey!!!!

I've always thought this when people say about modernising the monarchy - the next kings will be very interesting to see what they do in this regard

millymog11 · 09/01/2023 10:46

"Evidently Charles was a shit single parent."
I think you can very safely remove the single from that and it will still be very accurate.

704703hey · 09/01/2023 10:50

TeenDivided · 09/01/2023 10:05

What I think is missing from a lot of these discussions is why Charles was like he was.
The Duke of Edinburgh had a very disrupted childhood. I suspect he didn't know how to 'Father' very well.

Prince Philip was a law unto himself. It's a bit like he was born as an action man baby and lacked sentimentality, in an overt way.

People generally do the best with what they have and Charles obviously wanted more affection as a child, and didn't know how to cope with it when the marriage ended and there were 2 young boys.

Maireas · 09/01/2023 10:53

Well, I sincerely hope that Archie and Lilibet don't judge his parenting publicly.

Aspiringmatriarch · 09/01/2023 10:53

Parts · 09/01/2023 09:53

'To be fair, he tried.' Is one of the snidest, passive aggressive, back-handed compliments ever.

It's not snide! Ffs.

Yes I imagine Charles was completely at sea with it all. But despite that, he tried. He's not a bad person or an unloving parent IMO. The comment is fair enough.

Mingmoo · 09/01/2023 10:58

I mean, Diana was alive and thriving when the two of them went off to boarding school at seven or eight. She and Charles had very busy lives and the boys didn't come first for either of them, but Harry doesn't seem to resent her choices. I think its notable that William hasn't sent his children away to school yet and has moved closer to Eton (assuming that's the boys' destination). He is much more 'family first' than any main royal up to now.

704703hey · 09/01/2023 10:58

Aspiringmatriarch · 09/01/2023 10:53

It's not snide! Ffs.

Yes I imagine Charles was completely at sea with it all. But despite that, he tried. He's not a bad person or an unloving parent IMO. The comment is fair enough.

Show quote history

Parents try to do their best

Maireas · 09/01/2023 11:01

@Mingmoo - I remember well the comments that last summer of Diana's. The boys were at boarding school in term time, yet in the summer she was holidaying with her boyfriend and others without them. Her parenting had flaws, too. It's a problem to sanctify one parent, isn't it?

Mingmoo · 09/01/2023 11:06

@Maireas yes, and I'm sure she was trying to avoid being shut away looking after the boys and ageing into obscurity (not that she was anything but youthful and beautiful but she would have been aware of it given the obsession with her looks and style). She reminded me of Jackie O that summer, looking for a rich husband to bankroll the rest of her life. She was really in her prime and making the most of it. But those poor boys never seemed the priority for either of them, until after Diana died.

LadyHaversham · 09/01/2023 11:21

Charles aged 4 shaking hands with his mother after not seeing her for months.

Charles and Anne left as babies in BP while Philip & Elizabeth were dancing in Malta, the best years of her life, apparently.

Not the greatest start.

SammyScrounge · 09/01/2023 11:30

millymog11 · 09/01/2023 10:46

"Evidently Charles was a shit single parent."
I think you can very safely remove the single from that and it will still be very accurate.

Harry is a bottomless pit of neediness. No parent could ever do enough to alleviate his pain.

LizzieSiddal · 09/01/2023 11:33

I can imagine a huge number of older men, Charles would have been around 45 when Diana died, are not cut out for single parenthood. I personally would hate it!

Rainbowqueeen · 09/01/2023 11:39

I think that’s true of a lot of men. Many tend to focus on their career and hobbies.

MilkshakesBringAllTheCoosToTheYard · 09/01/2023 11:43

LadyHaversham · 09/01/2023 11:21

Charles aged 4 shaking hands with his mother after not seeing her for months.

Charles and Anne left as babies in BP while Philip & Elizabeth were dancing in Malta, the best years of her life, apparently.

Not the greatest start.

Did she not take the babies to Malta? That's properly shocking.

Maireas · 09/01/2023 11:46

Yes, they all lived in Malta together.
The long separation was because of the Queen's accession tour of the Commonwealth.