Queen Camilla has been a steadfast support for King Charles over the years. However, public opinion of her has often been less favorable. The former Parker Bowles struggled to gain acceptance, particularly from Prince William and Prince Harry, who were initially opposed to her relationship with their father.
Today, Queen Camilla and Prince William appear to have a good relationship. Both have had to significantly increase their royal duties this year due to King Charles and Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, earning well-deserved praise for their efforts.
Nonetheless, Queen Camilla remains higher in the royal hierarchy than Prince William and Kate Middleton. She sometimes feels that the couple does not show adequate respect to the king.
A new book reveals that Camilla occasionally reminds William and Kate of their place.
On one notable occasion, she asserted her authority by leaving them stranded.
Keep reading for details.
Queen Camilla’s popularity has seen a remarkable transformation.
Once widely vilified as the “evil” figure blamed for the breakdown of King Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage, she faced significant public resistance.
Her relationship with Charles, which began after Princess Diana’s tragic death in Paris in 1997 and eventually led to their marriage, was initially met with widespread disapproval as she entered the royal family.
Prince William & Prince Harry’s relationship with Queen Camilla
The press treated Camilla harshly, but her bond with Charles overcame these challenges. On April 9, 2005, the couple married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall.
It wasn’t just the press and public who struggled to accept Camilla; Queen Elizabeth and, most notably, the young princes, William and Harry, also had reservations.
Following Princess Diana’s passing, William and Harry were left without their loving mother, who had always ensured they were raised as normally as possible. Camilla became their stepmother, but her relationship with Harry was initially strained.
Harry described their first meeting as “awkward and tense.” In his memoir “Spare,” he wrote that William had “long harbored suspicions about the Other Woman.”
In a 60 Minutes interview, Harry revealed that he and William had asked their father not to marry Camilla, believing it would cause more harm than good. However, they eventually changed their minds.
“We didn’t think it was necessary, we thought that it was gonna cause more harm than good and that if he was now with his person, that – surely that’s enough,” Harry told 60 Minutes. “We wanted him to be happy. And we saw how happy he was with her.”
Camilla was “decidedly anxious” before first meeting with Prince William
Prince Harry’s first meeting with Camilla wasn’t successful, but Prince William’s introduction to her went differently.
At the time, William was attending Eton and informed Charles that he would be returning to York House in London for the weekend.
According to Penny Junor in her book Queen Consort: The Life of Queen Camilla, William’s sudden arrival caught his father off guard, and Camilla was apprehensive about the meeting. She even offered to leave before William arrived, but King Charles dismissed this as “ridiculous.”
Instead, Charles informed his son that Camilla would be present when he arrived, leaving Camilla “decidedly anxious.”
When William arrived, Charles suggested that Camilla “get on with it.” Camilla and William spent about 30 minutes getting to know each other. Afterward, Camilla remarked, “I need a gin and tonic.”
The meeting was successful, and Camilla described William as “friendly.”
“She never tried to be mummy”
Prince William and Prince Harry spent their childhood at Highgrove House with their mother. After her passing, Charles decided to move the family to York House, which, as Penny Junor notes, left them with “no memories of their mother” in their new home.
Soon after, the royal PR machinery was set in motion to introduce William, Harry, and Camilla publicly, preparing them for their future stepmother. In Queen Consort: The Life of Queen Camilla, PR expert Mark Bolland described this transition as initially “awkward.”
“It was difficult for them; it was a natural thing. You want your mum, you don’t want her, and she had her own family. To be fair to Camilla, she never tried to be mummy, but she was the ‘other woman,’ and she was there taking daddy’s time,” Bolland explained.
Today, Prince William and Queen Camilla share a strong relationship, as does Camilla with Kate Middleton.
Camilla and Kate Middleton have been seen as close partners for many years. Before Kate’s wedding to William, Camilla invited her to lunch and offered her advice on what to expect.
“If I can give you one bit of advice,” a nearby diner overheard Camilla saying.
“They were all getting on very well and they clearly hadn’t asked for an out-of-the-way table and nor did they attempt to lower their voices,” the diner told the Daily Mail.
“At one point, Kate joked, ‘What happens if William doesn’t turn up?’”
Camilla shared with Kate “the secret of hanging on to a busy prince.”
The observer added that there were several “hand-holding” moments, indicating a good rapport between Kate and Camilla.
Camilla gave Kate a personal wedding gift: a bracelet engraved with the letters Cs on either side of a charm, likely representing “Catherine” and “Camilla.”
According to Yahoo, Kate has worn the bracelet for several years, including appearances at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
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While Camilla and Kate might have a good relationship, author Robert Lacey noted in his royal biography, Battle of Brothers, that the Princess of Wales struggled to accept advice from her stepmother-in-law.
Camilla wanted to ensure Kate understood what it took to make her marriage to William work. She offered Kate guidance on building a successful royal career with her future husband.
“Camilla had confided to Kate the secret of hanging on to a busy prince: fit your timetable – well, basically your whole life – around his,” Lacey wrote in Battle of Brothers.
Even though Prince William and Kate Middleton are the future king and queen, that is not their current status. Queen Camilla remains higher in the hierarchy than the Prince and Princess of Wales, requiring them to show her the respect due to her position.
Queen Camilla’s ‘subtle’ trick when William and Kate was ‘disrespectful’ to King Charles
As a stepmother, Camilla might find it challenging to be strict with William, but she has made it clear she won’t tolerate certain behaviors.
In his book Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, author Robert Jobson claims that Queen Camilla often puts William in his place to remind him of the royal hierarchy when she feels he isn’t respecting his father. On one occasion, she went beyond words to demonstrate who was in charge.
Jobson recounts an incident when the Prince and Princess of Wales asked to join King Charles and Queen Camilla’s security convoy from Windsor Castle. However, William and Kate were late, keeping everyone waiting.
“When Charles was kept waiting several minutes for the couple, Camilla insisted they go without them. As William and Catherine emerged, all they could see were the blue flashing lights of the motorbikes disappearing in the distance,” Jobson wrote.
While Camilla and William’s relationship has had its ups and downs, they have shown solidarity during challenging times.
Earlier this year, when King Charles and Kate Middleton received their cancer diagnoses, Camilla and William faced a very difficult situation together, demonstrating their resilience and commitment to the family.
Cancer diagnoses have brought Queen Camilla & Prince William “much closer,” expert claims
They stepped up as partners and working members of the royal family, and this has reportedly brought Camilla and William “much closer,” according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
“They have been left, almost literally, nursing the crown while the King and the Princess recover,” Bond told OK!, as reported by the Mirror.
“When the late Queen died, William spoke of how she had been at his side during ‘the happiest moments’ and ‘saddest days of his life’. Now, Camilla is sharing some of those times with him, and it must surely cement their relationship.”
Jennie Bond added, “There are so very few people that a senior royal can trust absolutely… and Camilla must now be one of those people for William. And I’m sure it is a two-way street, with William offering moral support to Camilla as well.”
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