King Charles III is letting the world see the real him. The leader of the British royal family has said goodbye to his reputation for being “very standoffish” after a “nudge” from Kate Middleton to “let his guard down.” Ahead, what advice the Princess of Wales, 42, gave her father-in-law, the king. Plus, the words of wisdom King Charles gave young Prince William that altered the course of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s romance.
Kate told King Charles to give the world a ‘glimpse’ of the real him
According to a Life & Style report, Kate gently pushed King Charles to embrace his true nature and let it show. “Charles used to seem like a very standoffish guy—and he didn’t do much to make himself more likable or accessible to the public,” a source said.
“Because she loves spending time with him,” they explained, “Kate’s been giving Charles a little nudge recently to let his guard down and provide the world with a glimpse of the Charles she admires.”
King Charles “listened” to the future queen’s advice and “told those closest to him that, even at his age, he’s still learning lessons from Kate.”
Kate knows the ‘silly’ and ‘easygoing’ version of King Charles
So, who is the King Charles that Kate looks up to? Someone more relaxed and friendly. “While the world may have seen this stiff-upper-lip royal,” the source said, “Kate knows Charles as the guy with a silly sense of humor.”
“Around her and the family, Charles is easygoing, eager to listen to stories, and a funny grandfather,” they continued. The king’s grandchildren include William and Kate’s three kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son and daughter, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. He’s also a step-grandfather to Queen Camilla’s own five grandchildren.
Kate, the insider continued, “encouraged” King Charles “to use those qualities to bond with people.” It worked because “now he’s happy he took her advice.”
“The truth is, behind the scenes, Charles was always pretty down-to-earth,” the source went on. “For example, he just loves being in nature, which is something he and Kate have in common. He also loves to cook and swim, and he adores his grandchildren.”
“Fighting cancer at the same time drew Kate and Charles closer,” they added. “Kate was the one comforting Charles at times. But he also really took his royal hat off to just be a supportive father-in-law.”
Advice King Charles gave William changed his romance with Kate
Kate’s not the only one who has given advice, so has King Charles. When William wanted to leave St. Andrew’s University after only a few months, as Robert Lacey wrote in Battle of Brothers, his father convinced him to stay (via Express).
Remember college is where Kate and William met as new students. They’d see each other in class and on campus because not only did they have the same major, Art History (William later switched to Geography), but they lived in the same dorm.
Had William transferred to another college he may not have begun dating Kate or eventually marrying her in April 2011—talk about life-changing advice.
