Prince Harry and Prince William were reportedly “blindsided” by Queen Elizabeth II‘s request that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, be given the title Queen Consort when their father, Prince Charles, becomes king. Their grandmother made the surprising wish in her statement on Feb. 5 to mark the 70th anniversary of her Accession Day. This decision is reportedly a new issue that is “driving a wedge” between William and Harry, according to author Christopher Andersen.
“It’s just whether or not they can get over this bad feeling,” Andersen, whose new book is Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, told Us Weekly on Feb. 22. “Then, of course, Queen [Elizabeth II]’s health and these other considerations are there. I don’t think it helped with the queen announcing that Duchess Camilla will be Queen Consort and that’s another issue.”
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Andersen went on to say the queen’s decision is “driving a wedge” between William and Harry. “I can tell you right now that the boys were completely blindsided by this,” the author said, adding that Charles pushed “relentlessly” to make sure Camilla would be referred to as queen consort when he becomes king.
“Charles just wore her down on this too. I also think that since the death of Prince Philip, Charles has stepped up his effort to make it clear to the queen that he too needs [a partner],” Andersen claimed. “If he’s going to reign, he’s going to need the support, the kind of support that she got from [her husband].”
Queen Elizabeth was “miserable” during Charles and Camilla’s wedding, Andersen claimed. “She was begrudgingly letting him do this and one of the key elements was he promised Camilla would never be called Queen Consort,” the author explained.
Charles met Camilla in the 1970s, but Charles married William and Harry‘s mother Princess Diana in 1981 instead. In 1996, Diana and Charles divorced, and Diana died in a car crash the following year. After Camilla divorced Andrew Parker Bowles, Charles and Camilla reunited and eventually married in 2005.
After the queen publicly wished for Camilla to be called queen consort, a source told Us Weekly that the relationship between the two has improved over the years. “Camilla has definitely grown on Elizabeth II, more so than ever during the pandemic,” the insider said. “She really upped her game and willingly took a hands-on approach with additional duties.”
