Inside Prince Harry’s relationship with relative who supported him through ‘most horrifying half an hour of his life’
A DECADE ago, Charles, Camilla and Prince William all joined the Duke of Sussex at the first Invictus Games in London.
However, 10 years on, it was a rather different scene as all three were noticeably absent as Prince Harry returned to the UK to mark the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games.
While King Charles hosted Buckingham Palace’s first garden party of the year just two miles away, there was one family member who remained firmly by his side – his uncle, Charles Spencer.
The Duke of Sussex was spotted hugging his late mum’s brother and sister, Earl Spencer, 59, and Lady Jane Fellowes, 67, outside St Paul’s Cathedral ahead of the hour-long service.
Harry was reportedly keen to meet his father on a three-day UK visit, however, on Tuesday his office said it was not possible due to the King’s busy diary.
But as relations between King Charles and Prince Harry appear to remain strained, historian Tessa Dunlop claims the Duke of Sussex has always remained close to his uncle Earl Spencer, along with the late Princess Diana’s other siblings: Lady Jane Fellowes, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.
“He clearly has quite a good relationship with Charles Spencer, Jane and Sarah on the maternal side,” she said, speaking to OK! magazine.
“That side of the family seems to be better relations.”
Tessa went on to slam the viewpoint that Harry has no family, instead insisting: “While all the focus is on Harry and Meghan not having any family or relations, he clearly does have relations with the Spencers.”
She then referenced Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, where he spoke about his two aunts and uncle being there when he and Meghan visited Diana’s grave.
PRINCESS DIANA’S FUNERAL
Prince Harry and Earl Spencer’s close bond was evident at Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997 when Charles walked alongside his young nephews behind his sister’s coffin.
He raised concerns at the time about the then-young royals walking in the funeral procession, and later went on to describe it as the “most horrifying half hour of my life”.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he revealed that he still had nightmares from the “harrowing” experience twenty years on from the sad occasion.
However, he noted that it must be a “million times worse” for Prince Harry and William.
TOUCHING EULOGY
In a touching eulogy, Charles publicly vowed to protect his nephews.
He said: “I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition, but can sing openly as you planned.”
Prince Harry won't see King during UK trip
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said:
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week:
“It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
He continued: “We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role.
“But we, like you, recognise the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us.”
PUBLIC SUPPORT
While Earl Spencer isn’t often seen in public with his nephews, he’s been there to support them during several events – namely involving those to commemorate his late sister.
In 2006, Charles joined Prince Harry and William during the unveiling of a memorial fountain dedicated to Diana at Hyde Park in London.
While all the focus is on Harry and Meghan not having any family or relations, he clearly does have relations with the Spencers
Tessa Dunlop
Then, in 2021, they were all seen together in public as they unveiled a new statue of the Princess in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on what would have been her 60th birthday.
Earl Spencer has also attended Kate Middleton and Prince William‘s wedding in April 2011, and was spotted again when Harry and Meghan Markle wed in 2018.
THERAPY TREATMENT
Earl Spencer recently revealed how he underwent the same therapy for trauma as Prince Harry.
In his Memoir, A Very Private School, Charles explained how he’s been treated for physical, sexual and emotional abuse he suffered while at Northamptonshire’s Maidwell Hall boarding school between 1972 and 1977.
“I have EMDR, which is a form of therapy for PTSD,” he said.
WHAT IS EMDR?
By Terri-Ann Williams
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) states that EMDR therapy can help you process experiences that are having an impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
Dr Justin Havens said it involves using side to side eye movements combined with talk therapy in a specific and structured format.
It can help process negative images or emotions a person associates with a certain memory.
The therapy can help you see things from a different perspective and can also help you relieve symptoms.
It can help with conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, addictions, behavioural difficulties, relationship issues and more serious mental illnesses such as psychosis and personality disorders.
Dr Havens said: “Many of these problems may actually be rooted in some kind of trauma, whether that’s someone being bullied, criticised or abused in some way, either during childhood or as an adult, and it isn’t always obvious that this is the case.”
It comes after Prince Harry revealed in 2001 that he’d used the same form of PTSD treatment.
Speaking on an episode of his AppleTV series, The Me You Can’t See, he noted how he was using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) for four or five memories that he still found disturbing from his childhood.
Alongside his therapist Sanja Oakley, he explained: “EMDR is always something that I wanted to try and that was one of the varieties of different forms of healing or curing that I was willing to experiment with.
“I never would have been open to that had I not put in the work and the therapy that I’ve done over the years.”
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