Prince William "Couldn't Stand" Queen Camilla, But They've "Bonded" After 2024's Devastating Events

"They have become closer and have bonded over their spouses coping with cancer treatment."

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Prince William and Queen Camilla at the "No Time To Die" World Premiere in London on September 28, 2021.
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Prince William and Queen Camilla may seem as though they are on good terms now, but that wasn't always the case. In fact, William apparently "couldn't stand" Camilla when she was first introduced to him as his father's new girlfriend.

Having finalized his divorce from Princess Diana in 1996, who tragically died in 1997, Charles decided to rekindle his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and subsequent mistress, the then-Camilla Parker Bowles. In 1999, Charles publicly debuted his romance with Camilla. And according to royal expert Hilary Fordwich, Prince William wasn't on board with his dad's new partner.

"Prince William initially couldn’t stand Camilla," Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "[But] he has come to appreciate her steadfast dedication to duty." 2024 has been an especially difficult year for the royal family, with both Princess Kate and King Charles revealing their cancer diagnoses. As a result, William has reportedly found support in his step-mother. "They have become closer and have bonded over their spouses coping with cancer treatment," Fordwich explained.

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Prince William, Queen Camilla, King Charles, and Princess Kate attend the Commonwealth Day service ceremony at Westminster Abbey on March 14, 2022.

"[William] has come to appreciate [Camilla's] steadfast dedication to duty," a royal expert explained.

(Image credit: Daniel Leal-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

During the same interview, Fordwich suggested that Queen Camilla has had a very positive impact on the royal family. "Camilla has a calming influence on King Charles," he explained. "Prince William appreciates that she also makes his father happy."

A recent report in The Independent revealed that Queen Camilla initially wanted to keep King Charles' cancer diagnosis secret. Royal author Robert Jobson told the publication, "Queen Camilla had initially been against disclosing his condition, but the King overruled her as he felt it was a chance to take a lead and in doing so to encourage men experiencing similar symptoms to seek timely medical attention."

Despite any fears Camilla may have had about sharing the personal news, Charles apparently wanted to avoid any "fake news" spreading online. Ultimately, the king's decision to be so candid about his health was seen as a positive move. "He was lauded for doing so, with commentators saying he had ushered in a new era of transparency in matters of health and the royal family," Jobson told The Independent.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.