The Intertwined Journey of Prince William, Princess Kate, and Queen Camilla
Prince William and Princess Kate's unwavering support and evolving relationship with Queen Camilla, their stepmother, throughout the years leading up to her coronation in May 2023
After Queen Camilla and King Charles III tied the knot in April 2005, his two sons gradually accepted and embraced the idea of having a stepmother.
Although Charles had a previous relationship with Camilla during his teenage years, they both went on to marry different partners. Charles married Princess Diana in 1981 and together they had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, born in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Prior to her marriage to Charles, Camilla had already been married to Andrew Parker Bowles for eight years. From her previous marriage, Camilla and Andrew have two children together, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.
Charles and Camilla were later embroiled in a scandal involving an extramarital affair. In 1996, they both went through divorces and subsequently began publicly dating. However, when the former Prince of Wales expressed his intention to propose to Camilla, his sons were apprehensive.
In his memoir titled "Spare," published in January 2023, Harry revealed, "Despite William and me urging him not to, Dad was determined to proceed. We shook his hand, wished him well, and harbored no ill feelings." Harry further expressed, "We acknowledged that he was finally going to be with the woman he loved, the woman he had always loved, the woman who fate may have intended for him from the start. Regardless of any bitterness or sadness we felt regarding the completion of another chapter in our mother's story, we understood that it was inconsequential."
The Duke of Sussex and William's mother, Diana, had previously claimed in multiple revealing interviews that her marriage was affected by the presence of "three people," referring to Charles and Camilla's affair. Tragically, Diana lost her life in a fatal car accident in August 1997, leaving Harry and William at the ages of 12 and 15 respectively.
Eventually, the Prince of Wales and Harry reconciled with the marriage between Charles and the founder of the Reading Room. However, it was reported that they made it clear that Camilla would not be considered a grandmother to their own children. (William and his wife, Princess Kate, have three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, while the BetterUp CIO and his wife Meghan Markle are proud parents of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.)
During the queen's Country Life cover story in October 2022, Camilla demonstrated her cordial relationship with Kate by confidently suggesting the ideal photographer for the occasion.
"[Camilla] immediately responded, 'Oh, I would prefer Catherine to do it.' For the next three or four minutes, I frantically tried to recall a professional photographer named Catherine," shared Mark Hedges, the magazine editor, in the publication. "Then it suddenly dawned on me what she meant - one of the most incredible opportunities. I found it quite easy to agree with a nod of my head."
Following their coronation in May 2023, both the Duchess of Cornwall and William have continued to show their support for Camilla, even after she and Charles became the monarchs of England. (Charles ascended the throne following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.)
Scroll below to revisit William and Kate’s relationship with Camilla through the years:
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Prince William and Princess Kate’s Relationship With Queen Camilla Through the Years
After Queen Camilla tied the knot with King Charles III in April 2005, his two sons eventually embraced the notion of having a stepmother. Despite Charles and Camilla's previous romantic involvement during their teenage years, they both went on to marry different partners. Charles exchanged vows with Princess Diana in 1981 and became a father to Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984. On the other hand, Camilla had already been married to Andrew Parker Bowles for eight years. Together, Camilla and Andrew have two children named Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.
Charles and Camilla were involved in a scandalous extramarital affair, leading to their respective divorces in 1996. Eventually, they publicly began dating. However, when the former Prince of Wales decided to propose to Camilla, his sons expressed caution.
In his memoir titled "Spare," published in January 2023, Harry revealed, "Despite William and me urging him not to, Dad was determined to go ahead. We shook his hand and wished him well, holding no grudges." Harry further explained, "We acknowledged that he was finally going to be with the woman he loved, the woman he had always loved, the woman Fate might have intended for him from the beginning. Despite any bitterness or sadness we felt regarding the completion of another chapter in our mother's story, we understood that it was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things."
The Duke of Sussex and William's mother, Diana, had previously claimed in several revealing interviews that her marriage was overshadowed by Charles and Camilla's affair, suggesting that there were "three people" involved. Tragically, Diana passed away in a fatal car accident in August 1997 when Harry and William were 12 and 15 years old, respectively.
Although the Prince of Wales and Harry eventually came to terms with His Majesty's relationship with the founder of the Reading Room, it is rumored that they made it clear that Camilla would not have a grandmotherly role in their children's lives. (William, together with his wife, Princess Kate, has three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, while the BetterUp CIO and his wife, Meghan Markle, are proud parents of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.)
During the queen's Country Life cover story in October 2022, Camilla displayed her amicable relationship with Kate by suggesting the ideal photographer for the occasion.
"In response, Camilla quickly suggested, 'Oh, I think Catherine should do it.' As the magazine editor, Mark Hedges, shared in the issue, I found myself frantically trying to recall a professional photographer named Catherine for the next three or four minutes. And then it hit me - one of the most extraordinary possibilities. Nodding my head in agreement became one of the simpler tasks."
Scroll below to revisit William and Kate’s relationship with Camilla through the years:
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April 2005
William and Harry were present at their father's civil wedding ceremony with Camilla, but initially, they were not enthusiastic about the union. In his Spare memoir, the co-founder of Archewell claimed that they both strongly advised Charles against proceeding with the marriage.
Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
December 2006
One of Kate’s earliest public appearances was at the Sovereign's Parade at Sandhurst, where military cadets graduate from training in front of the reigning monarch. While Queen Elizabeth inspected William’s uniform, Kate sat next to her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, as well as Camilla and Charles.
Credit: Murray Sanders/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
April 2011
Camilla expressed her pride for her granddaughter, Eliza, during a charity event following William and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey. She admitted being initially concerned about how Eliza would behave on such a significant day, but was delighted by her lovely and stunning appearance in her bridesmaid dress. Camilla acknowledged that it was quite a momentous occasion for a child of her age.
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February 2020
Although William and Kate frequently attend engagements separate from the king and queen, the four of them recently made a joint appearance to visit the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre located in Leicestershire, England.
Credit: James Veysey/Shutterstock
February 2022
During Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration, marking her 70 years as the sovereign, the late queen expressed her desire for Camilla to be recognized as Charles' queen consort upon his ascension to the throne. Prior to this, Buckingham Palace had not revealed whether Camilla would hold the title of queen consort. However, William and Harry were taken aback and felt caught off guard by this decision.
"The question now is whether they can overcome this negative sentiment. Additionally, the queen's health and other factors need to be considered. The announcement of Duchess Camilla being named Queen Consort has only further exacerbated the situation," shared royal expert Christopher Andersen exclusively with We, highlighting how it is creating division among the royal family.
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June 2022
William and the Duchess of Cambridge rode in an open-top carriage with Charles and Camilla en route to the Garter Day celebrations.
Credit: James Veysey/Shutterstock
July 2022
"We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to feature a formal portrait of The Duchess of Cornwall, captured by none other than The Duchess of Cambridge herself. It is truly a privilege to be the first to showcase this stunning photograph. The quality of the images is exceptional, and we would be overjoyed to extend another commission to The Duchess of Cambridge in the future."
Credit: Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
September 2022
Ahead of Elizabeth’s state funeral, William and Kate joined Charles and Camilla at a pre-ceremony reception at Buckingham Palace.
On the morning of the memorial, Kate and kids George and Charlotte rode into the hearse with Camilla. (Both William and Charles marched in the procession to the Abbey.)
Credit: Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
December 2022
At the conclusion of the Royal Carols: Together at Christmas concert in December, Camilla and her husband showed their support by attending. As a gesture of respect, the University of St Andrews graduate curtsied to her stepmother-in-law.
Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
May 2023
On May 6, Camilla and her husband were officially appointed as regents. The ceremony included a procession at the Abbey, which was attended by William and Kate. Following the service, the Waleses joined the king and queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony, accompanied by their three children. This appearance on the balcony was significant as it was the first time that the senior working members of the royal family had stood there since the passing of the late queen.
Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
June 2023
Kate joined Camilla and the duchess' three children in the Trooping the Colour carriage procession. Later, Kate, Camilla, George, Charlotte, and Louis joined William and Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony to witness the military flypast.
