Thin, frail and with his head in his hands, King Charles looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders as he greets the grieving families of the stabbing victims from the Southport tragedy.
And while royal sources are at pains to assure the public that King Charles is in good health and getting back to work, there are concerns that the King is not as well as the palace PR team would have us believe.
On top of battling cancer and his royal duties, Charles is also carrying the burden of a family torn apart by rifts and squabbling.
KING CHARLES FAMILY AT ODDS
“Charles does look at the current state of his family with deep concern. Everyone, it seems, has issues, whether it be health, financial, legal – and not many of them are getting on as well as he’d like,” a royal insider shares.
“This situation with Andrew and the Royal Lodge has somewhat divided the family – or at least shown who is still stuck on loyalties to his mother, the previous monarch – with Anne, Sophie and Edward all disappointed in how he’s handled it.
“Then there’s the diabolical situation between his two beloved sons. Charles cannot believe what Harry’s done and it’s changed William forever.
Now William’s made it clear he doesn’t want Harry at his coronation – something that breaks Charles’ heart. He never gave up hope the two could be reconciled, but it’s not looking like it will happen in his lifetime.
“There are fallouts with Sarah, Beatrice and Eugenie, who are deeply concerned Andrew is not being protected. He’s even managed to upset Camilla as she’s the one always bearing the brunt of his irritability.”
At Balmoral for the summer, Charles, 75, is finding it hard to take a break from the pressures of the top job, even though he knows how important it is that he relax.
REST MORE, STRESS LESS
“He feels like despite planning meticulously all his life for his ascension to the throne, everything’s ended in disaster. He fears his very brief reign will go down as some kind of plague on the nation with the ‘King of feuds’ on the throne,” says the insider, adding that despite Camilla’s assurances to the contrary he can’t help but worry that he’s failed his family, his country and, worst of all, his late mother.
“The big fear is that all these problems are adding to the King’s stress levels, and top of his ‘doctor’s orders’ list is to avoid stressful situations.
He’s been seeking spiritual counsel, not just for the many health problems afflicting his family, but also to help him stay calm through very stormy waters,” the insider reveals.
“Balmoral was supposed to have been a restorative time for the whole family, but with all the ongoing issues it turned out to be anything but.
“Charles needs to break away from all the family strife, which is why he’s looking forward to his trip to Australia with Camilla. It will give them both a most welcome chance to relax and share some very special experiences.”
