Prince Harry’s ‘Second Father’ Supports Him After Royal Family Snub
The royal family appears to have snubbed Prince Harry since exiting his role as a senior royal alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020. However, he has a “second father” who continues to support him in lieu of other family members.
Prince Harry’s ‘second father’ showed up when the royal family did not
On May 8, 2024, Prince Harry returned to the United Kingdom to attend a service of thanksgiving honoring the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games. The event was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
None of the senior royals from the House of Windsor showed up for the event. However, Page Six reports that members of Princess Diana’s family, including her brother Charles Spencer and sister Lady Jane Fellowes, were in attendance, along with Harry’s cousins Lara Spencer, Louis Spencer, and George McCorquodale.
But perhaps the most important attendee was Prince Harry’s “second father,” Mark Dyer. The former Welsh Guard officer served as the king’s squire in the 1990s and looked after Harry and Prince William following the untimely death of their mother, Princess Diana. He became an important confidant during the princes’ teenage years.
Dyer’s role was similar to that of King Charles’ mentor, Lord Mountbatten. Prince Philip’s uncle was a pivotal figure to Charles as a child and throughout adulthood.
The Mirror spoke to royal expert Tom Quinn, who believes Dyer’s decision to attend the service supported Harry in a way the royal family did not. Quinn said, “Knowing his brother and father would boycott the St. Paul’s service for the Invictus Games, Harry made sure, well in advance, that he was not going to be entirely alone.”
“Dyer gets on with both brothers but has a soft spot for Harry, who he feels is misunderstood by his family and needs a lot more support than they were ever prepared or able to give,” Quinn explained. “Tom said it’s ‘really significant’ that Mark chose to reunite with Harry when the royal family didn’t.”
Will Mark Dyer’s support of Prince Harry put his relationship with other royals at risk?
While Mark Dyer’s support of Harry continued a legacy of respect and care for the Duke of Sussex, will this put his relationship with other royals at risk? Tom Quinn believes that could be possible.
He said, “Dyer is taking a risk filling in for them. William and [King Charles] will see Dyer’s presence at the event as very publicly taking sides.”
However, Quinn says, “Mark Dyer doesn’t make judgments about these things. He simply sees a young man who has lost a great deal in choosing to leave the royal family and needs the support of someone who can give the kind of advice Harry might’ve expected from his father.”
“Where King Charles was always filed with doubt about his abilities as a parent and unsure how to behave toward the boys. Dyer was always ‘fierce, but fair’ as the boys themselves agreed,” Quinn concluded.
Prince Harry spoke of his close relationship with ‘second father’ Mark Dyer in ‘Spare’
The Duke of Sussex discussed his close relationship with Mark Dyer in his autobiography, Spare. Released in January 2023, the book is Harry’s account of his life within the royal family.
Prince Harry wrote, “Everyone appreciated Marko. Of all the staff that surrounded my father, by consensus, Marko was the best, the toughest, the strongest, the most handsome.”
He continued, “A longtime member of the Welsh Guards. Anecdotal. A model of masculinity from head to toe.”
Prince Harry lives in Montecito, California, with his wife, Meghan Markle, and his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
