Prince William and stepmother Queen Camilla still have “a lot to overcome” in what royal experts have dubbed a complicated relationship.
William “tolerates” his stepmother, who “has always been a little afraid of” him, as royal expert Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly.
Even so, the 42-year-old heir to the British throne “has warmed up to Camilla over time,” according to a Parker Bowles family friend.
Another insider told the outlet that there remains “a lot to overcome” for the Duke of Cornwall and Camilla, 77, given her affair with King Charles during his marriage to the late Princess Diana. The now-queen was married at the time to Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she shares son Tom Parker Bowles, 49, and daughter Laura Lopes, 46.
“William and Harry had always distrusted Camilla and felt resentment toward her because of their devotion to their mother,” said the source. “They never felt comfortable opening up to her in any real way.”
Camilla and Charles, then the prince, tied the knot in April 2005, nearly a decade after Diana’s 1997 death. Tensions with his brother, Prince Harry, 39, and his wife Meghan Markle “brought [William and Camilla] closer,” according to the source.
The insider added that Kate Middleton — who along with her father-in-law has spent much of the year battling cancer — has “never been dismissive of Camilla and always treated her with kindness.”
The Parker Bowles friend added that, “It was really Kate who warmed William to Camilla.”
Andersen meanwhile said the queen initially didn’t believe Kate to be “of their class.”
The royals’ health battles have helped to soften some of the tensions, according to Andersen, who noted that he’s “sure William appreciates” that the queen’s “devotion and dedication to her husband [are now] more in focus.”
The report comes nearly a month after news broke that William removed Queen Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, from the royal payroll after nearly 20 years, after he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate.
