King Charles’s social media marked Father’s Day by posting two “personal” photos. One photo was Queen Camilla with her father, Bruce Shand, at her second wedding in 2005. The other photo was of Prince Philip pushing Charles and Princess Anne on a swing when they were both pretty small. For some reason, there was a ton of conversation about these photos on social media and beyond, and all of the stories tied it to Charles’s estrangement from his son Prince Harry.
King Charles is commemorating Father’s Day amid a rift with his son Prince Harry. On Sunday, June 15, the King’s team posted a tribute on the Instagram account that he shares with Queen Camilla to mark the occasion. The annual holiday is celebrated on the third Sunday in June in both the U.K. and the U.S.
A black and white throwback photograph of King Charles and Princess Anne being pushed on a swing by their late father, Prince Philip, was shared alongside a snap of Queen Camilla with her own father, the late Major Bruce Shand.
“To all Dads everywhere, we wish you a happy Father’s Day today,” the post was captioned.
The holiday came amid a rift distancing the King, 76, from his younger son, the Duke of Sussex, in a fissure that won’t seem to heal. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were not invited to the third Trooping the Colour of the King’s reign on Saturday, June 14, where many members of the royal family came together to attend the King’s official birthday parade.
Again, there’s nothing new here. That’s what Charles is counting on too – he hopes that in the gossip-vacuum, people will forget about how he’s treated his son and grandchildren. He hopes that people won’t recognize that he’s a dogsh-t father. Now, that being said… I understand why Charles didn’t post a photo with his sons. The point of Father’s Day is to recognize your own father, correct? So it was notable that Prince William made no move to publicly wish Charles a Happy Father’s Day. Harry obviously did not post anything about Charles either, because Harry’s IG isn’t public (and we don’t even know if he still has one).
Once again, I’m obsessed with how poorly managed this estrangement has been on Charles’s side. If Charles was truly generous of spirit (or he just wanted people to think he was), he would have posted a photo with Harry and William and said something about how he’s super-proud of them. That would have gone a long way, it would have broken this icy estrangement, it would have made Charles look sympathetic. But Charles and his courtiers never even consider doing anything like that.
To all Dads everywhere, we wish you a happy Father’s Day today. pic.twitter.com/pqIK97NqlW
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 15, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Their Majesty’s King Charles III, Colonel in Chief of the Household Division, wearing the Uniform of the Coldstream Guards, and Queen Camilla, ride in a horse drawn carriage in the procession along the Mall at Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK.,Image: 1011191295, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Their Majesty’s, Queen Camilla and King Charles III, TRH, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, join members of the British Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony, to watch the fly-past to conclude Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade.,Image: 1011191397, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla seen at the Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1011197176, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
His sons did not post about him either. Appears there is no love loss between them
The problem was and is, always Charles.
Interesting choice of this swing photo to deflect from his abysmal performance as “father”. Or sperm donor at this stage.
Maybe he’ll post something on Son’s Day?
In 2023, for Father’s Day, KFC posted three photos one of which included him with his then teenage sons. The other two photos were just like this year’s photos.
Charles ignoring his sons but honouring Camilla’s family seems on point for him.
@Inge Does anyone seriously care about the Rottweiler’s side of the family at this stage?
Yeah most people go up the ladder and post about their dad or father figure, so that wouldn’t really be the odd part. But even if they expected him to post about his sons, he didn’t post about either son. And considering one is supposed to be his ” liege man” you would think that would be the story.
He’s definitely trying to lean into the poor Grandpa narrative though, because I imagine that some of these stauncher royalists, not the online trolls but the people invested in people visiting stately homes and all that, looked at the attendance of TTC and are now worried.
He’s the boss just like they used to call his mother. The ” firm” going off the rails and losing widespread interest under your reign is totally a you issue.
Not just a rift between Harry & Charles but also William and Charles.
The rift is a gulf at this stage.
This is what happens when he and his mistress-wife decided to choose a broodmare together so he could fulfill his “duty” without any affection at all.
In the meantime, the Rottweiler is surrounded by her grandchildren and APB remains the love of her life. Sucks to be Charles.
Camilla destroyed Charles’ family unit and preserved hers. Machiavellic. She won!
It must be difficult for Charles…he threw away the Spare, and now the Heir is keeping a death watch, waiting for dear old Dad to breathe his last, while already measuring the Crown to see if it’ll need re-sizing to fit his own enormous head.
Charles making the emotionally mature choice instead of the petty childish choice is never going to happen. I did enjoy the videos of the leftovers being booed by the sparse crowds, the greeting they all deserved.
I agree with Kaiser. The real question (and story) is why William didn’t post anything about his cancer stricken dad. I understand that his children “posted” about him but couldn’t he acknowledge his father who probably doesn’t have long to live….something is wrong with the whole family and that’s why they want us to concentrate only on Harry’s rift with his
father…and the press chooses to ignore it..
I agree; the real story is that William did not post anything. He used to, though, in previous years, like that side hug photo when he towers over Charles and tilts his head towards him. It’s a nice photo. His not posting anything is notable and everyone will use Harry to steer the conversation away from it.
I found that photo with Will hugging Charles a little on the weird side. Especially considering the way they treated Harry, trying to pose as ‘happy’ father and son.
That photo made my skin crawl, looking at it. Still does. Willie looks like he has Chuckie’s demise all planned out.
His special sovereign birthday parade has passed. Father’s Day has passed. What’s next, more garden parties?
As I read this piece I noticed that neither Willi nor Harry have posted anything about Charles and than Kaiser pointed it out. I understand Harry but Willi.
William desperately needs to learn to be diplomatic, he is after all going to be the next King. It will be an important part of the job.
It is clear that Willy viscerally hates his father. So he’s indifferent to these types of occasions.
Gloves are off, masks are down, that’s why Willy keeps saying “WHEN I AM KING, I will do this etc.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if Willy opens a bottle of champagne when Chuck dies given all four of them celebrated when QE2 died.
And he’s too stupid to realize that by aligning with Harry against Camilla’s harm would have been the best way to survive.
I thought Philip and Charles famously didn’t get along? They were chalk and cheese, one rigid, sporty and immensely aware of duty and the other an Eyore par excellence, sticking his nose in flowers and mushrooms and complaining publicly when his pen doesn’t work. They had infamous infidelity in common but at least Philip respected the aristo code and always respected Elizabeth in public, unlike the horrors Charles (and now William) unleashed publicly on their wives.
Happy Fathers day indeed…
Cold hearted Charles destroyed his own family.
I rather liked that photo he posted, though. Dad–in a suit!–playing with his kids. I also found the one Camilla used to be interesting. Are there no photos from her childhood? Was dear ol’ dad never around? Was this the last time she saw him?
Hmmm, mentioning Harry’s “failure” to make a father’s day post for Charles, but wait – doesn’t Harry have a brother? Did this Other Brother, who lives in the same time zone, post about Charles on Father’s day?
I think it would have been a bit weird for Charles to post about his sons, even if he couched it as being so impressed and proud of them as fathers in their own rights. I don’t think he necessarily wants people to remark upon how much more loving his sons are to their children compared to his own approach. Plus, while he (well, his staff) could use a photo from trooping for William’s family, the truth is that the Windsors don’t have any recent photos of Harry with his kids. Unless the king wants to stoop to reposting from Meghan’s insta, and that would be pathetic.
The pic of William frowning at Louis is just sad.
Camilla s children probably paid tribute to dad Andrew. There seems to be more harmony there.
There does seem to be a rift between Charles and William. If the lip-reading (lol) was correct, he was bitching about William in the carriage. Both he and Camilla looked miserable. She hated being there. They absolutely got what they deserved.
It is very notable that William didn’t even try to one up Harry by posting about Charles.
He doesn’t like chucky either.
You see, this is where the two brothers differ: I genuinely think that Harry loves his father despite his short comings and he wanted a real relation with him until the last events about his security..William, on the contrary, wishes Charles were dead so as he would become king as soon as possible and take the HRH titles from his nephew and niece..
The son he rejected was the son who truly loved him. Can’t be anymore Shakespearean than that. Or LOTR.
Chuck’s going to die lonely. The Rottweiler will be at her home while Chuck is surrounded by the vipers he chose over his own family. They’ll WhatsApp his final hour.
It’s obvious to all who’s paying attention and not deluded that there’s a rift between Charles and William too.
Charles ignoring his sons but honouring Camilla’s family seems on point for him.
Man, Harry was right, they all need therapy.
While Daily Mirror lip reader couldn’t decipher the entire conversation, he did catch the King saying “on my way out”, followed by: “Meanwhile, not like me. That’s the difference between me and him.
Quote about KC fuming to wife in carriage about someone behaving absolutely disgracefully. They claimed he was bitching about Andrew but it is a lot more likely to be his heir. Maybe KC was furious about his own son acting and briefing that daddio is “on my way out!” And boasting about being IMPACTFUL whilst doing nothing,”not like me!” No love lost there, methinks!!
Eh, I think Charles has better grammar than that.
The photo choice for Charles is very interesting because it avoids reflecting on his own relationship with both of his sons. The relationship with Harry is already known to be strained, so him not posting anything with Harry isn’t unusual or unexpected. It’s him avoiding reflecting on his relationship with William that is the bigger topic that needs to be discussed but the media will avoid that discussion because it shows a bigger fracture in the monarchy than they want to admit to. Then for William to not post anything about his dad is even more interesting because he made a point of posting about their relationship before and the media has tried to convince us that they are closer than ever. Did Kate not post anything for her dad either?
So Charles was the only father no acknowledged on Father’s Day. A well deserved omission since he is obviously a terrible father. He inflicted mental and emotional trauma on his son and his son’s mother, and his daughter-in-law. He seems to be a negligent grand-father as well. The late Queen looked after her children and her extended family. Charles looks after only himself. Making sure that Camilla has all her needs met is basically looking after himself. Camilla looks out for her own family and her children will be well-set when Charles is gone. William will be king. Harry will have nothing material. Luckily he doesn’t need Charles’s money or the taxpayer’s money. Harry has no family to count on. Meghan still has her mother. Charlotte as the spare is luckier than Harry was. First, she is a girl and would be treated differently anyway. Second, she has Louis, company in the spare department. Charles could have had at least a good family life- but he is so lacking in everything emotional and ethical to at least do his duty to the mother of his children and his own children.