Prince William clashed with King Charles over desire to be 'hands-on' parent: experts

Prince William, who witnessed the messy, public breakdown of his parents’ marriage, is determined to give his three children a normal upbringing — even if it means clashing with his father.

The 42-year-old and his wife Kate Middleton are said to be "hands-on" parents and are determined to work together as a team to ensure their children are always by their side as they tackle royal duties.

"Prince William and Kate Middleton’s parenting style is extremely hands-on by royal standards," royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained to Fox News Digital. "Those traveling with and receiving Prince William and his eldest son Prince George have commented on their close bond and even similar mannerisms."

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"Prince William craves normalcy after his tumultuous childhood," Fordwich shared. "One of the great appeals Kate had for William was her stable family. Those closest to her have always shared that she and Prince William wanted the children to live ‘in the real world, not a gilded bubble.’

"’They want them to grow up having the same experiences as other kids.'"

Fordwich’s statements came after the U.K.’s Daily Mail published an excerpt of Robert Jobson’s upcoming biography, "Catherine, the Princess of Wales."

In it, the author alleged that King Charles "raised concerns" with his eldest son over his helicopter use with Kate and their three children. William had expressed a strong desire to fly with his entire family.

"Prince William craves normalcy after his tumultuous childhood."

— Hilary Fordwich, royal expert

Not only did this spark a tense disagreement, but the king presented William, an experienced pilot, with "a formal document acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions."

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which handles the offices of the Prince and Princess of Wales, didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

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Despite the disagreement, the book also claimed that the king, 75, has praised Kate, 42, for having a "stabilizing influence" on William, especially when it comes to his relationship with the monarch. A source told Jobson that the Princess of Wales "is somebody who always tries to see both sides of any dispute" and is the "emotionally mature one."

"I think the [king] understands Catherine is a good influence on the entire family," said a courtier. "He loves and truly appreciates everything she does."

While William has no problems flying in a helicopter with his entire family so that they can always be together, Fordwich said she isn’t surprised by the king’s concerns.

"There have been several royals who have perished in plane crashes," Fordwich explained. "As a result, Queen Elizabeth II was particularly sensitive in regard to who could and would be permitted to fly together. Rules were put in place years ago regarding the prohibiting of royal heirs from flying together."

"While exceptions are made, with the consent of the monarch, avoiding a future crisis of succession in the calamitous event of the monarch’s death in a plane crash is paramount," said Fordwich. "While Prince William is known to have the utmost respect for his father, admiring his devotion to duty, nevertheless he has verbalized that he sees the detrimental impact of putting work first when he was growing up. Their father-son relationship was strained in recent years."

William was put in the public eye from the second he was born in 1982 to the former Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. The world watched him from his school days in London to his courtship of Kate at St. Andrews University in Scotland, along with their spectacular marriage at Westminster Abbey.

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He paraded before the cameras when he graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, then went on to active duty in the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force. Finally, he became a civilian air ambulance pilot before moving into full-time royal duties. His charities and causes — from mental health to the environment — have given hints of what sort of monarch he might one day be.

Many royal watchers have described the Prince and Princess of Wales as having a "hands-on" approach when it comes to raising their children. Lessons were learned, they claimed, after William, along with the world, watched his parents’ marriage deteriorate.

In 1992, it was announced that Charles and Diana had decided to separate. Their divorce was finalized in 1996, a year before Diana perished in a car crash at age 36.

"Charles and Diana were both devoted parents, but in very different ways," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "Charles was traditional in his approach. Diana wanted their sons to experience life more widely, such as introducing them to the problems of homelessness or taking them to a McDonald's or Thorpe Park."

"William and Catherine have been determined that their children will have as normal an upbringing as possible and that their privacy and well-being will have a priority," said Fitzwilliams. "This was clear from the beginning when William was based in the RAF Valley Angelsey and, subsequently, was with the East Anglican Air Ambulance when based at their country home of Anmer Hall."

"The balance they have struck with releasing photographs and arranging appearances of their children in exchange for privacy seems an excellent one," he added.

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Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital that there has been "conflict at times behind the scenes" between William and Charles over their different approaches to royal life — and parenting.

"The king hates to be told he is wrong and sacks people who disagree with him," Pelham Turner claimed. "I feel William may be striving forward, reminiscent of his grandfather Prince Philip, about how the monarchy should behave in the 21st century. Some could claim he has become more straight-laced recently. For example, in the past, everyone called him William. Now he is addressed as 'sir.'"

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"As to parenting, I feel only after the death of Diana did Charles take on a more sensitive role with his two sons," Pelham Turner continued. "That probably accounts for why Kate is constantly demonstrative of affection towards the children in public and private."

"Prince William is an analytical, thoughtful, good and principled man," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard also told Fox News Digital. "His stubborn streak rears its head regularly, but this is not necessarily a negative. He welcomes positive change. He thinks things through and makes a decision quickly. He also involves his wife in his decision-making."

"He continues to pilot helicopters with his family on board despite this being frowned upon," she shared. "Prince William knows he is a skilled helicopter pilot and doesn’t feel there is anyone more suitable than himself to pilot his family. He is not giving that up anytime soon. However, he knows that when Prince George reaches 12 years old, it’s unlikely that he and George will be allowed to fly together as it was the same with him and his father when he turned 12 years old."

"Prince William felt his father wasn’t around for him emotionally when he was younger," Chard claimed. "His brother Prince Harry feels the same. As such, Prince William’s perspective is to prioritize his family’s emotional and physical well-being, along with his determination to protect the monarchy at all costs."

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Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," noted that William’s stubborn streak is legendary, especially when it comes to his family. But there’s a good reason why the king has no qualms about clashing with his son over the use of helicopters.

"I’m not at all surprised that King Charles worries about the health and safety of his family members, especially now that he is facing his own mortality in such a jarring and tangible way," Andersen told Fox News Digital.

"I’m also not surprised that an experienced helicopter pilot like William, who has been hopping on and off royal choppers his entire life, would think that the danger is minimal. That said, I side with the king on this one. Accidents do happen. Why take chances with the future of the entire monarchy?"

"It’s ironic that William and the king would be fighting over something like this, since William and Kate are hands-on parents in a way King Charles never was," Andersen shared. "Perhaps William desires to keep the family together at all costs — even in flight — that is motivating him. It’s also likely that a 42-year-old man like William is going to be less aware of his own mortality than someone who is pushing 76 and battling cancer."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.