Prince William has reportedly made candid remarks about his childhood and upbringing, which a royal expert suggests might have "slightly taken aback" King Charles. During an appearance on the Apple TV+ show, 'The Reluctant Traveller,' with Canadian actor Eugene Levy, William openly discussed the impact of his parents' divorce.

Former royal correspondent Phil Dampier expressed to the Express that King Charles is unlikely to welcome his son's critique. Mr Dampier stated, "The king may be slightly taken aback by the frankness with which William has spoken. He may be slightly upset that William has said that he made mistakes. But they are undeniable; we all know that his first marriage didn't work and sadly there are always consequences from that."

Prince William reflected on the separation of Charles and Princess Diana, revealing, "My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time. But, you take that and you learn from it and you try and make sure you don't do the same mistakes as your parents." He further elaborated on the long-term effects of early childhood stress: "I think we all try and do that and I just want to do what's best for my children, but I know that the drama and the stress when you're small really affects you when you're older."

The Prince of Wales also underscored the importance of a happy childhood, emphasizing his dedication to balancing work and family life. He explained, "Because for me, the most important thing in my life is family, and everything is about the future and about if you don't start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you're setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall. And so, it's about making sure that we can look after our families, look after our children, in a way that is best for their future."

Commenting on these revelations, Mr Dampier added that both William and Harry "suffered as a result of their parents' divorce and their mother's early death." He noted William's apparent resilience compared to his brother but recounted how William famously pushed tissues under the door for his crying mother as her marriage dissolved, an experience that likely stays with him for life.

Beyond his childhood reflections, a trailer for the episode 'Living The Royal Life In The UK' also revealed William discussing the intense challenges he faced last year, referring to 2024. He described it as "the hardest year I've ever had," a period marked by both the Princess of Wales and the King receiving cancer diagnoses. He added, "Life is said to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are."

The fourth episode of 'The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy,' titled 'Living the Royal Life in the UK,' is scheduled to premiere on Friday, October 3, on Apple TV+.