Much has been written about the first time Prince William met Camilla Parker Bowles in 1998. 

The two were introduced by William’s father, King Charles, at his Clarence House residence when William — then 17 and studying at Eton — headed home for a weekend break.

“She was shaking like a leaf,” royal expert Christopher Andersen, the author of The King: The Life of Charles III, shares in the latest Us Weekly issue of the now Queen Consort. “As soon as William left, she said she needed a gin and tonic.”

Camilla was previously known to William, his brother, Harry, and the world at large as the Other Woman. She and Charles famously had an affair during his marriage to Princess Diana (and Camilla’s marriage to ex Andrew Parker Bowles).

After their respective divorces — and Diana’s tragic passing in 1997 — Charles and Camilla officially became a couple. The dynamic between Camilla, 77, and William, 42, has been a layered — and ever-evolving — one since.

In late July, it was revealed William had removed Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, from the Duchy of Cornwall payroll — she’d spent nearly two decades serving as Charles’ chief interior designer. While Andersen acknowledges some ongoing tension between William and his stepmother, he maintains the decision wasn’t a snub and calls it an “inevitable” business move. “William wants his own team in there,” he says.

Two sources tell Us William and Camilla have come a long way — especially in recent months in light of Charles and Princess Kate’s health battles (Charles, 75, revealed his cancer diagnosis in February; Kate, 42, opened up about hers in March).

“William has warmed up to Camilla over time,” says a Parker Bowles family friend, with a source adding that the duo have “a familial relationship these days.”

Fractured Past

It’s been a work in progress. “There’s a lot to overcome,” notes the source. “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.”

In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry, 39, recalled his first meeting with his father’s future wife in which they had a brief chat about horses; during a 60 Minutes interview, he accused Camilla of trading negative stories about royal family members to the British media in exchange for positive coverage about her to “rehabilitate her image.”

Adds the source: “William and Harry’s distrust grew when they found out Camilla was leaking stories to the press to make herself look better.”

In Spare, Harry revealed that he and William had pleaded with their father not to marry Camilla. “Despite Willy and me urging him not to, Pa was going ahead,” he wrote, adding that his brother “had been suspicious of the Other Woman for a long time, which confused and tormented him.” Anderson says that the now-estranged siblings “put on a good front” publicly, “but I don’t think they were happy with Camilla stepping in.”

Closing the Gap

According to the source, William made strides with Camilla after Harry left the royal family in 2020. “It brought them closer. William and Kate don’t want any extra drama or tension in the family — they have enough of that with Meghan [Markle] and Harry.”

Camilla also has Kate to thank for William’s change of heart. “It was really Kate who warmed William to Camilla,” adds the Parker Bowles family friend. The source says Kate was accepting of Camilla long before others in the royal family followed suit: “She’s never been dismissive of Camilla and always treated her with kindness.”

William and Kate appreciate Camilla’s down-to-earth nature and feel she brings out the best in Charles. “They both like the fact that Camilla’s normal and makes Charles less stuffy,” says the Parker Bowles family friend. “Kate likes her because she brings a real-life relatability into the family. She’s not all about the courtiers waiting on hand and foot. Camilla’s real like Kate is.”

Andersen has a different take. He claims Camilla was initially against William and Kate ending up together. “Camilla’s a believer in aristocracy [and] kind of a snob,” he says, noting that she didn’t think Kate “was of their class.” Andersen also insists William still isn’t Camilla’s biggest fan — “he tolerates her” — and that Camilla “has always been a little afraid of William.”

Strong Bond

No one can deny Camilla makes Charles happy. “If his dad’s happy, William’s happy,” says the Parker Bowles family friend. “Camilla and Charles get on so well and laugh all the time. Whenever you see them together, they’re having fun and giggling. That’s what William likes about Camilla — she warms his father up and brings out his human side.”

The couple is known for leading somewhat separate lives, with Charles preferring to spend most of his time in Scotland, while Camilla enjoys hanging out at her country house in Wiltshire, England, where she likes to walk her dogs and cook for her grandkids. (Camilla and ex Andrew are parents to son Tom, 49, and daughter Laura Lopes, 46; she has three grandchildren.)

While the arrangement may seem strange to outsiders, the Parker Bowles family friend notes that it’s “totally normal in royal and aristocratic circles, and it works for them.”

Camilla and Charles have been spending more time together since his diagnosis. “She’s been looking after him,” shares the family friend. They’re currently at Balmoral, where William, Kate and their three children (Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and 6-year-old Prince Louis) are set to join them.

Kate and Charles’ health crises have given everyone more perspective. “Charles’ illness has put Camilla’s devotion and dedication to her husband more in focus,” says Andersen. “And I’m sure William appreciates that.”

For more on William and Camilla, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.

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Source: USA Today