Inside Prince William’s growing bond with Queen Camilla: No longer the ‘evil stepmother,’ his father’s wife has become an ‘unlikely ally’

She was once called an “evil stepmother” by Prince Harry, who said he and his brother, Prince William, begged their father not to marry.

But Prince William’s carriage ride with Queen Camilla yesterday at Royal Ascot, with the Prince of Wales taking pride of place alongside his stepmother in King Charles’ absence, showed just how far their relationship has come.

The duo, who were joined in their carriage by the Earl and Countess of Halifax, were seen sharing smiles, highlighting their growing affection for each other amid an anxious time for both.

Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales are currently facing similar obstacles in their personal lives, and both spouses are undergoing cancer treatment.

William balances his official duties with caring for his young family and supporting Kate, while his wife steps back from her role as a royal to continue her preventive chemotherapy.

When King Charles announced his status, Queen Camilla increased her number of official duties and replaced him on 13 royal engagements.

Prince William has forged an “unlikely ally” with his stepmother amid the Royal Family’s health crisis, according to royal expert Jennie Bond.

Jennie said previously OK! magazine that he had noticed changes in William and Camilla’s relationship, even before Kate released her video statement about the illness in March.

She said: ‘Recent events have obviously brought William and Camilla much closer. They have stayed, almost literally, guarding the Crown while the King and Princess recover.

“Their teams will work more closely to coordinate agendas and cover commitments that have been planned, and Camilla and William are likely to have been in much closer regular contact.”

Meanwhile, a royal source previously told the sunday time from Queen Camilla: ‘Although she did not expect to find herself in the position of leading the family, the Queen is absolutely prepared to do whatever is necessary for the institution.

“She has found reserves of energy that not even she thought she had, and the esteem in which those inside the palace have of her has skyrocketed as she has set to work.”

In early March, the Prince of Wales shared a giggle with his stepmother at the Commonwealth Day Service.

As Camilla approached, William was seen greeting his stepmother before moving forward to kiss her on both cheeks.

They chatted as they stood side by side, ready for the national anthem to play before sharing a laugh and leading the other royals into the service.

In 2022, William was also there to support her on her first big outing. Since the end Queen issued his royal seal of approval for her to use the title when Charlesbecomes monarch.

Sources told the Daily Mail at the time that while he was not As part of the decision-making process, William was “respectful” of the title change.

But they haven’t always had a strong bond, and William had difficulty confronting his stepmother at the beginning of the relationship, according to a knowledgeable source.

They told the newspaper: ‘There were major family disputes in the early stages of Charles and Camilla’s marriage when everyone recovered. William didn’t have the best relationship with his father at the time.

“But he sees that Camilla had made his father happy and it’s something he’s come to terms with.

‘Her relationship with the Prince of Wales is better than ever. He’s not particularly close to his stepmother, but they get along perfectly well and are now a fairly integrated family.

‘He also respects his grandmother and her judgment more than anything in the world. If it’s good for her, it’ll be good for him too.

The Princess of Wales has also softened the relationship between William and Camilla, according to author and royal commentator Angela Levin.

In his biography of Queen Camilla, he says that Kate made a great effort to spend time with both William’s father and his stepmother.

Levin writes in his book that he used shared interests, such as a love of the arts, to bond with Charles and Camilla and arranged private meetings with them, without William in tow.

In Camilla: From Pariah to Queen Consort, Ms. Levin writes: “Fortunately, time helped Camilla’s relationship with senior royals, including Prince William, improve, largely thanks to the Princess of Wales. , who is a peacemaker.”

‘Camilla is also a conciliator and harbors no hard feelings. “They both believe that supporting their husbands is a priority,” says Mrs Levin, a journalist who has worked extensively for both The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.

“Catherine has a love of the arts, which William does not particularly share, and often goes, both privately and publicly, with the Queen Consort and King Charles to see exhibitions.”

William’s brother Prince Harry, who left his role as a senior royal to live in California with Meghan Markle in 2020, also revealed how the brothers were reluctant to accept their father’s remarriage to Camilla.

In his memoir Spare published in early 2023, the Duke of Sussex wrote that he was ‘begged’ not to remarry.

He wrote: ‘I remember wondering… if she would be cruel to me; if she were like all the evil stepmothers in the stories.’

Harry later wrote that he and William ultimately approved of Camilla.