As the Royal estrangement between Prince William and Prince Harry rages on, William has found an unlikely ally who’s stepped in to protect him and Kate – Queen Camilla.
While their relationship hasn’t always been warm and cuddly, Camilla and William’s alignment on Harry and Meghan’s return speaks volumes, as the the pair work together to ‘protect’ King Charles.
Camilla and Harry’s relationship has had underlying tension for years, and in his memoir Spare, Harry labelled Camilla as ‘dangerous’ and said he and William ‘begged’ Charles not to marry her.
Now, a royal source tells Woman’s Day that Camilla and William appear to be closer than ever as they navigate Charles’ health and what Harry and Meghan’s return means for the firm.
‘She’s not shy’: Camilla’s role in ‘protecting’ Charles
When it comes to the Palace remaining a united front, Camilla has been a undercover key player.
“Camilla’s not shy in facing down her critics and her presence at the July Highgrove meeting was unanimously agreed to be ‘ingenious’ by everyone at the Palace, including William,” our insider says.
“She added a layer of protection around the King – while offering tea to the two people who’ve their world a nightmare. Any thaw in their relationship with the King has to include her in the room.”
Though it doesn’t necessarily mean that Camilla has forgiven and forgotten what Harry wrote in Spare.
“Harry and Camilla’s relationship is still damaged and unlikely to ever get back to how it was before his book. Calling her ‘dangerous’ is the sort of thing people don’t forget,” the source says.
“Camilla doesn’t want to get in the way of Charles and his grandchildren and she doesn’t want Harry and Meghan to either. Charles will keep seeing the grandchildren when he can and Camilla will stay present enough to avoid any soap operas.”
Camilla, William want a ‘clear line’ when it comes to Harry’s relationship with King Charles
While Camilla doesn’t want to get in the way of Charles forging a relationship with his grandchildren, she and William are aligned with their concerns.
“It’s not true to say Camilla thinks he’s being too soft with Harry – in fact, not many in the Palace think that after his recent letter. The only issue Camilla has is she wants a very clear line to be drawn between the King and Harry – private family contact is one thing but any leaks and it’s over,” our source says.
“Charles and Camilla are in agreeance with William that any hint of Harry and Meghan sliding back toward working-royal status on Crown territory is another red line.
“William will keep his distance, but he and Camilla were already aligned before the Sussex return. William has taken the harder line for years and has shown no interest in a personal reconciliation. He respects Camilla’s ability to set aside her hurts and be civil to Harry. She’s essentially been put on the front line of a very tense situation, but William appreciates the fact it gives him and Kate the buffer zone they need to stay away.”
Camilla and William have regular chats and both carry a “huge weight of responsibility” as concerns for Charles’ health grows.
“Camilla and William do speak regularly, always about the King’s wellbeing, but more recently about Harry and they are very aligned with their concerns,” the insider says.
“On money, security and working-royal status, Charles has been consistent, but there’s no doubt he wants to see his grandchildren. Charles is more willing to live with Harry being in the country than William is but cancer and age make ‘see the kids while you can’ a stronger pull for Charles.
“There’s no doubt Camilla and William both carry a huge weight of responsibility with Charles’s health. When he was in hospital, it seemed unbelievable for Camilla that she and William were essentially running the country. If his health deteriorates, she knows she’ll have to step in to make decisions for him, which is why it’s so important for her to be in sync with Charles’s decisions, especially regarding Harry.”
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