While Queen Camilla has won over many of the Royal Family members over the years since marrying King Charles in 2005, she is yet to win over the hearts of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, an expert believes.
It comes as Camilla’s close relationship with Princess Anne was on display as Her Majesty proudly received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature on November 20, presented to her by Princess Anne at the University of London.
It marked a rare joint engagement for the two women, as Camilla has long championed literacy and literature as part of her duties.
Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, however, claims Camilla is yet to get into Prince Harry’s good books.
She said: “It’s not easy being a second wife, a stepmother, a step-grandmother, or a commoner stepping into the royal goldfish bowl. Camilla has done it all and, for almost all the family, with the exception of Harry and Meghan, she is loved or at least well-liked and has become a key player in the institution of monarchy.”
In his bombshell memoir, Spare, Prince Harry painted Camilla as a villain, using the trope of the wicked stepmother.
Among several revelations, the Duke of Sussex claimed he and his older brother Prince William begged their father not to marry Camilla, alleged that the then-Duchess of Cornwall converted his bedroom into her own personal dressing room, and reflected on the difficult moments of adjusting to his father’s new marriage.
But perhaps most notably, Harry took his criticism of Camilla beyond statements on her character, claiming the Queen used a “spin doctor” in a calculated agenda to remedy her public image as the “other woman”, and in the process, threw him “right under the bus”.
The Queen, however, has gained the trust of Princess Anne, despite her adjusting to a new role alongside King Charles. The royal expert, said: “It may have been quite tricky for both of them to adjust to the new situation with Camilla becoming the senior royal and, indeed, taking on the role of Anne’s beloved mother.
“But I think Anne has seen what a tremendous support Camilla is to Charles: the King is certainly lucky to have two strong women either side of him, supporting him in his work and caring deeply about his welfare.”
What started as a relationship in their youth soon spiraled into one of the most documented royal affairs – with Camilla Parker Bowles shouldering much of the blame for Charles and Diana’s infamous divorce. It took decades for Camilla to repair her image and win over the nation.
Despite meeting in the early seventies, the King tied the knot with Lady Diana Spencer, later Princess Diana, and Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles, an Army Officer.
After Princess Diana’s death, Charles and Camilla kept a low profile and gradually began to appear together in public. In February 2005, Charles and Camilla announced their engagement, 35 years after the pair had first met.
The couple tied the knot on April 8, 2005, in a civil wedding ceremony, which was not attended by Queen Elizabeth II to uphold the Church of England’s values, but the late Queen did attend the reception.