Prince Harry's relationships with members of the royal family have been pulled into close focus over the past six months, following the releases of his high-profile autobiographical media projects in which he discussed his upbringing and split from the monarchy in 2020.
A core relationship to the prince's narrative is that with his father, King Charles III, who when Harry was 12 years old became a single parent following the death of Princess Diana.
Harry made a number of revelations about his relationship with Charles in his memoir and how this was affected by both operating within the structure of the monarchy and other members of his family, such as his brother, Prince William and stepmother, Queen Camilla.
King Charles has not spoken publicly about his son's six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, or his 407-page memoir, Spare, despite the criticism leveled at the monarchy, and the royal family.
The Claim
TikTok user, the.royal.watcher, uploaded a video to the social media platform on April 5, which included video clips of King Charles showing public displays of affection for his youngest son with the text overlaid reading: "Prince Harry: My father has NEVER hugged me and it was damaging.."
The video has been viewed on the platform over 7 million times and received in excess of 219,000 likes and 6,900 comments.
The clips used in the video included archive footage of Charles hugging his son at a polo match, putting his arm around him during a skiing vacation and a photograph of the pair exchanging a kiss on the cheek. These appear to be supplied in contradiction the statement attributed to Harry in the text overlaid.
The claim that Harry said or implied that his father never hugged him has been shared by a number of other social media accounts in recent months.
The Facts
Prince Harry discussed his relationship with his father, King Charles, at length in his Netflix docuseries released in December 2022 and in his memoir, Spare, published in January 2023, as well as in TV interviews promoting it.
Hugging and physical intimacy—or lack thereof—was referenced by Harry in both projects within the context of his wider family and the formality that exists within the monarchy.
Though he did lament the fact that he was unable to benefit from overt expressions of physical intimacy and vowed to change this behavior when it comes to raising his own children, Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 1, he did not claim that his father "never" hugged him.
In Spare, the prince did reveal that he had "never" hugged his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II who died in September 2022 at the age of 96.
In his memoir, Harry does reference one instance when Charles does not hug him—when the royal recounts being told that his mother, Princess Diana, has died.
"Pa didn't hug me," he wrote, describing Charles breaking the news to him while sitting on his bed at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, on August 31, 1997. "He wasn't great at showing emotions under normal circumstances, how could he be expected to show them in such a crisis? But his hand did fall once more on my knee and he said: 'It's going to be OK.'"
Hugging was again mentioned when the royal described his urge to hug his grandmother, the queen, at a Golden Jubilee pop concert in 2002.
"To see her tapping her foot and swaying in time, I wanted to hug her," he wrote.
"But of course I didn't. Out of the question. I never had done and couldn't imagine any circumstance under which such an act would be sanctioned."
In a March interview with physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté, Harry discussed his views on physical intimacy within a family unit.
Gabor Maté made the observation from Spare that there was a theme of a "lack of holding and touching and cuddling in this family," referencing the Charles knee-patting moment and the prince's desire to hug the queen.
Asking the royal how this affected him, Harry responded: "It leaves me in the position now as a father with two kids of my own making sure that I smother them with love and affection. Not smother them to the point where they're trying to get away...but in the sense that I as a father feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any traumas or any negative experiences that I've had as a kid or as a man growing up."
King Charles has not publicly commented on Harry's Netflix series, his memoir or interviews promoting it.
In September 2022, when he acceded to the throne, Charles expressed his "love" for his youngest son and his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, in his first speech as king.
From Buckingham Palace, he said: "I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
Harry is set to reunite with his father on May 6, 2023, as he is to be in attendance at Charles' coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. A statement issued on behalf of the king in April read:
"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
The Ruling
False.
Prince Harry has not publicly made the statement that his father, King Charles, "never hugged me."
The prince has however discussed a lack of physical intimacy within his family while growing up, both in his memoir Spare, and in interviews promoting it.
In his book, Harry said that Charles "didn't hug me," when the prince broke the news of Princess Diana's death to him in 1997, but did not say that he was "never hugged."
FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
