Prince Harry's strained relationship with Queen Camilla has taken center stage in a new Channel 4 documentary, Queen Camilla: The Wicked Stepmother?, sparking fresh debates about his controversial claims.
Royal commentators suggest that Harry’s ongoing criticism of Camilla has altered public perception of the pair, with Camilla now viewed more favourably while Harry faces backlash.
Royal commentator Petronella Wyatt claimed: "Harry and Camilla's positions within the Royal Family have virtually reversed. Camilla used to be the hated outcast, now it's Harry, and Camilla's seen with affection."
She added, "I'm not sure Harry realised how incendiary it was. The whole country seemed to be taking sides."
The Duke of Sussex, 40, and Camilla, 77, have reportedly had a tense relationship for years.
In his memoir Spare, Harry accused Queen Camilla and King Charles of leaking stories to the press to boost her public image. However, Wyatt criticised Harry’s approach, stating: "I don’t think Harry thinks things through. I think it’s his nature just to press the nuclear button. He has to move on from casting Camilla as the wicked stepmother."
Other royal experts dismissed Harry’s claims in the documentary, airing on November 24.
Princess Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond both refuted allegations that Camilla manipulated the media. Bond said, "Camilla had no interest in cultivating a special relationship with any particular journalist," despite previous reports.
Harry’s memoir Spare, released in January 2023 and reissued in paperback on October 24, delves into his frustrations with the UK media, unresolved grief over his mother’s death, and mental health struggles before meeting Meghan Markle.
The book, which also included attacks on senior royals like Camilla, has sold over six million copies globally and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling nonfiction book.
