The development of the relationship

Insider: Prince William & Queen Camilla Have "A Lot To Overcome"

Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla

The relationship between Queen Camilla and Prince William was complicated from the start. Since their first meeting in 1998, many dynamics have changed. Despite progress, there are still obstacles that need to be overcome.

William and Camilla's story
This is their development
The two still have "a lot to overcome"

When Prince William first met Camilla Parker Bowles in 1998, the world was eager to see how their relationship would develop. Back then, King Charles introduced his son to his future stepmother during a break from Eton.

Williams and Camilla's first meeting

William, then aged 17, returned home for the weekend and met Camilla at Clarence House. Royal expert Christopher Andersen, the author of 'The King: The Life of Charles III', told 'Us Weekly' that Camilla was "shaking like a leaf."

Queen Camilla, King Charles and Prince William

Until this formal meeting, William and his younger brother Harry only knew Camilla as the "other woman". Their father had an affair with Camilla during his marriage to Princess Diana who was married to Andrew Parker Bowles at the time.

After the divorces and the tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997 Charles and Camilla were able to live out their long-standing romance openly and finally officially announce their relationship to the world.

Since that fateful meeting, the relationship between Camilla and William has proved complex. Over the years, many layers of their dynamic have changed and softened.

In the summer of 2024, it was revealed that William had decided to sack Camilla's sister Annabel Elliot after almost two decades as head designer of the Duchy of Cornwall. This decision may have led to tensions in the family, but according to Andersen, it was an "inevitable" business decision.

William and Camilla have grown closer in recent years

Despite these challenges, Camilla and William have made progress in recent months, particularly in light of King Charles and Princess Kate's cancer diagnoses and treatments.

A Parker Bowles family friend revealed that William has thawed towards Camilla over time. The source added that the pair now have a "familial relationship". Nevertheless, the insider said that there is still "a lot to overcome." "William and Harry had always distrusted Camilla and felt resentment toward her because of their devotion to their mother. They never felt comfortable opening up to her in any real way," the source revealed to 'Us Weekly'.