Prince William is 'closer than ever' with his stepmother Queen Camilla says royal expert

It's a photo that has provoked quite a few comments. No, not the photo of Kate Middleton posted on social networks on Mother's Day in the UK. While it's true that this new family portrait, taken by Prince William, has sparked huge controversy, another image of the British Royal Family has provoked the ire of some internet users. After being spotted in a car with the Princess of Wales on Monday 11 March 2024, the heir to the throne went to the Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. There, he met up with Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Queen Camilla, back in England after a few days' holiday.

Prince William pictured next to Queen Camilla

Sitting next to the wife of King Charles III at mass, Prince Harry's older brother exchanged a few tender glances with his neighbour. These moments of complicity with Queen Camilla were captured by photographers and made some fans of the Royal Family sit up and look twice.

Prince William let his guard down

It is true that the relationship between Prince William and Queen Camilla got off to a particularly bad start. As Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare:

Willy had long been suspicious of the 'Other Woman', which troubled and tormented him. When these suspicions were confirmed, he felt excruciating remorse for not having done or said anything beforehand.

The Duke of Sussex added that he and his older brother had begged their father not to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The wedding, however, finally took place in 2005. And while Meghan Markle's husband is still not close to King Charles' second wife, his older brother seems to have let his guard down.

According to royal expert Jennie Bond, Kate Middleton's husband and the Queen are now 'closer than ever'. The King's illness, the Princess of Wales's health concerns and the many commitments she has to fulfil have brought them much closer together.

They have had to take care of the Crown while the King and Princess are recovering. The BBC journalist explained:

Their teams will be working closely together to coordinate agendas and cover engagements that have been scheduled, and William and Camilla are also in touch more regularly.

She continued:

As well as the professional side, I'm sure they are an emotional help to each other. They've both been so worried about these unexpected health concerns and I imagine they've shared their feelings.

Divide and conquer was never the best solution.

Prince Harry allegedly betrayed

The apparent friendliness and bond between the two has got a lot of people talking. One of them is Tom Quinn, a royal expert who spoke to Mirror. He explained:

He [Harry] really distrusts that William actually gets on rather well now with Camilla – Harry will see this as a betrayal. He was shocked when William realised that Camilla, far from being the monster they thought her when they were children, is actually a rather nice woman.

The commentator added:

She is exceptionally good at listening with a sympathetic ear and William has definitely warmed to that. Harry on the other hand sees this as one more example of William letting the side down – for Harry things have never moved on really since his mother died.

Quinn concluded that the contrasting relationships the two princes have with their stepmother is a show of 'the huge geographical divide' between them.

Prince William and Queen Camilla's first meeting

While this seemingly new closeness between the Queen Consort and the heir to the throne may surprise many, it is nowhere as surprising as their first meeting.

In July 1998, Luke Harding wrote in The Guardian a piece dedicated to the unexpected meeting that happened between the two. According to the writer, there was a major shift in the 'Prince of Wales's [now King Charles] discreet strategy of news management' as his office and royal aides 'confirmed' that Prince William had met Camilla Parker Bowles.

The story was first reported by The Sun and, in a 'unthinkable' move, a spokesperson confirmed that it had indeed taken place. Luke Harding details the meeting:

The 30-minute meeting took place at St James's Palace last month, with Charles present. The encounter, on Friday June 12, came about when 16-year-old William dropped in unexpectedly at the Palace, where Mrs Parker Bowles has become a regular visitor.

That first meeting was reportedly followed by two more, 'for tea and at a shared lunch'. However, though the heir and Parker-Bowles had met, it was reported that, Prince Harry hadn't. On that, a spokesperson for Prince Charles had said:

Meetings between the children and Mrs Parker Bowles are a private family matter, which we are not prepared to discuss, and we hope for their sakes, the media will now leave this very personal matter alone.

This article has been adapted from Voici.

Read more:

⋙ Prince William and Prince Harry will both attend Diana Legacy Awards

⋙ King Charles: Royal insider claims Queen Camilla knew about his diagnosis when she opened a cancer centre

⋙ Kate Middleton spotted with Prince William looking 'happy' and 'healthy'

Sources used:

Express: Prince William and Queen Camilla are 'closer than ever' as expert spots tell-tale clue

Metro: Prince William ‘closer than ever’ with key royal family member, expert reveals

The Guardian: Royal tactics shift as Camilla meets William

Mirror: EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry 'distrusts' William’s growing bond with Camilla for heartbreaking reason