William and Harry have never 'warmed' to Camilla and 'tolerated her at best'
This month, two royal biographies have been sparking headlines about life behind closed doors for the royal family. Between them there have been a number of royal revelations and claims - from Prince William's allegedly 'fiery temper' in private to Prince Harry seeking therapy from MI6.
While Robert Jobson's William at 40: The Making of a Modern Monarch focuses on the Duke of Cambridge's life, journalist Tina Brown's biography, The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, the Truth and the Turmoil, shares stories about many members of the household.
In her book, the royal insider has claimed that Prince Harry wanted to marry Meghan Markle 'as quickly as possible', something which reportedly concerned William, and that the brothers feud has been going on longer than originally thought.
But she also discusses their relationship with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who married their father Prince Charles in 2005.
Charles and Camilla dated in the early 1970s, but when their relationship ended she went on to marry Andrew Parker Bowles, and years later Charles married the late Princess Diana. However, they began having an affair in the 80s - which Charles has publicly acknowledged - and when he and Diana split in 1992 Charles officially rekindled his relationship with Camilla.
Although over the years Charles, Camilla and the two Princes have been frequently spotted together during royal engagements, Brown claims that William and Harry never 'warmed' to her.
The author claims that following his divorce from the late Princess Diana and before going public with Camilla, Charles hired public relations executive Mark Bolland in 1996 to help improve the Duchess of Cornwall's public image and 'win acceptance' from the public.
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She writes: 'One carefully managed myth peddled by Bolland was that the boys had warmed to Camilla. But they tolerated her at best.
'In his early thirties, Harry was still complaining bitterly to friends that Camilla had converted his old bedroom at Highgrove, Charles's Gloucestershire estate, into an elaborate dressing room for herself.'
The Palace has not yet commented on the claims.
Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.
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