Over the weekend, we reported that Kate Middleton had celebrated Father’s Day by posting a heartwarming photo of her husband Prince William with his arm around his father, Prince Charles. Now, a royal expert is speaking out to talk about the importance of this photo, saying that it symbolizes “an even more significant milestone in what hasn’t always been an easy relationship.”

“The warmth which so obviously zings between father and son seems to signify a laying to rest of the ghosts of William’s childhood and any soreness he has felt towards his father after witnessing the traumatic fallout out of his parents’ separation as a 10-year-old boy,” royal expert Camilla Tominey told the U.K. Telegraph.

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“Now a father of three in his late thirties, with Charles willingly playing the role of doting grandfather, there is a sense that William has not only forgiven him for the mistakes of the past but also woken up to the fact his father has been as much of a positive influence as [his mother] Diana, the late Princess of Wales,” Tominey continued.

Tominey pointed out that this is a big change from William’s attitude about his father just three years ago, when he marked the twentieth anniversary of Diana’s death. At the time, William refused to acknowledge what role Charles played in his upbringing and that of his brother Prince Harry after their mother died. These days, however, William and Charles seem to have gotten over this hurdle, as they are doing better than ever.

“It’s no secret that Charles and his son have had ups and downs in the past, but the relationship today is very solid and strong,” a palace insider said, according to Fox News. “It is built on love, affection and respect. They are on the same wavelength these days and when Charles talks about William it is with great pride.”

“You often hear him talk of sovereignty and how they bond over this commitment to the sovereignty,” the source added. “They will both be kings one day – and William’s oldest son will be king – and that is something that connects them and has brought them closer in recent years.”

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Another source said that becoming a father himself has changed the way William views his own dad.

“Since getting married and becoming a father, I think William and his father are very much on the same page,” the insider explained. “There’s a sense of duty that runs through them both and unites them and as far as their relationship is concerned, they’ve crossed a bridge.”

“I think there was a time when Charles worried about William and whether he was ready for the role that lay ahead, but these days he has full confidence in William and sees that he has what it takes to be a great Prince of Wales and a future king,” added the friend of William’s.

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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