Kate & Camilla Are ‘Completely Different’ — But Surprisingly, It’s Worked for the Monarchy
When it comes to their personalities, Queen Camilla and Princess Kate couldn’t be further apart. Yet, according to royal author Valentine Low, this contrast may actually serve the monarchy rather well. In an interview with GB News, Low, whose upcoming book Power and the Palace traces behind-the-scenes moments of the royal family, talked about how Camilla’s openness and Kate's caution make for an unlikely but effective balance.
“Kate is a completely different person from Camilla,” Low explained. “She’s very controlled and cautious, and careful. Camilla is much more outgoing. She says what she thinks, she’s incredibly engaging and funny. That’s not to say Kate can’t be funny in private, but you know, it’s much more obviously the case with Camilla.”
This contrast between the two royal women is evident in a story Low recounts in his book. Back in 2008, not long after Boris Johnson became Mayor of London, Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, extended an invitation that highlighted her easygoing style. Johnson’s first encounter with King Charles had reportedly not gone smoothly. Having boarded the wrong Tube line, Johnson and his communications director, Guto Harri, arrived flustered and late to meet the then-Prince of Wales at Clarence House. Charles, according to Harri, was unimpressed. “There was never a lot of love for Boris,” Harri later recalled. Camilla, however, was more forgiving. Months later, she suggested to her husband that the new mayor should be invited for tea. “He looks like such fun. Can we have him over for tea?” she allegedly said.
And after the invitation, Johnson and Harri cycled from City Hall to Clarence House, leaving their bikes in a shed at the back. Camilla personally came to greet them, laughing as she remarked, “Oh, I didn’t believe them when they said you had cycled!”
Camilla spent an hour alone with Johnson, and by the end of it, the Mayor described their rapport in glowing terms. Harri remembered Johnson saying they had got on ‘like a house on fire.’ Reflecting on the same, Low writes, “As you can just imagine, Camilla sees Boris, she thinks he looks like great fun, ‘Oh let’s have him over for some tea. Can we? Can we?’ It’s absolutely in tune with Camilla. Just so absolutely not what Kate would do.”
During the conversation, Camilla shared a personal memory of being attacked as a teenager while on her way to Paddington, which recently came into the spotlight. She recalled fending off the assailant with her shoe before reporting him to the authorities. The revelation struck a chord with Johnson, who at the time was pushing policies to expand rape crisis centres in London.
As per Low, the incident goes to show Camilla’s natural instinct to connect personally with political figures, a style very different from Kate’s careful, measured approach. Low, hence, argues Camilla and Kate are 'completely different,' but it is precisely what has worked in the monarchy’s favor.