Kate Middleton Received a Candid Warning From Queen Camilla About Prince William: ‘Your Life...’
Royal life comes with plenty of its own quirks, and sometimes, advice comes from the unlikeliest of sources. Years before the royal observers witnessed the close bond between Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton, it was Camilla herself who reportedly offered Kate a vital relationship tip, one that may have shaped the royal couple’s dynamic for years to come. When the relationship between Kate and Prince William was still blossoming, Camilla, who had navigated her own unique course beside King Charles for decades, allegedly pulled Kate aside with some practical wisdom.
According to royal expert Robert Lacey’s book, Battle of Brothers, Camilla told Kate that the secret to keeping up with a busy prince was simple: “fit your timetable – well, basically your whole life – around his.” This piece of advice perhaps came from a place of her own experience; as she has had firsthand experience of supporting and understanding a man whose life was forever lived in the public eye, the Royal Insider reported.
This private counsel took place against a backdrop of evolving relationships within the royal family. At one point, Camilla’s entry into royal circles was anything but seamless, especially after her marriage to Charles in 2005. Tension with Prince William was rumored, but over time, and with Kate’s help, bridges were built. As royal biographer Angela Levin describes in Camilla: From Outcast to Future Queen Consort, “time helped improve Camilla’s relationship with senior royals, including Prince William, largely thanks to the Princess of Wales, who is a peacemaker. Camilla is also a conciliator and doesn’t nurse grievances. They both believe that supporting their husbands is a priority.”
Their shared commitment to family and duty has seen Kate and Camilla united not only in roles but often as companions; both are well known for enjoying outings to art exhibitions together, sometimes with King Charles in tow, even though William’s enthusiasm for the arts may not run quite as deep. This camaraderie has given their husbands steady partners in the spotlight and behind palace doors.
And while Camilla’s words may have left a lasting mark on Kate’s approach to royal life, there’s no doubt that Kate herself had wise mentors looking out for her, the Daily Mail reported. According to royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, even Prince Philip quietly admired the way Kate handled her early years in the royal spotlight, giving William reassurance that he had chosen “such a level-headed girl.” Her seamless adjustment to life inside the monarchy, Brandreth explained, was no coincidence; she had the benefit of guidance from someone who had lived the role for decades.
In Philip: The Final Portrait, Brandreth revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh had drawn lessons from the struggles of Princess Diana. “One of the things that saddened, and worried, the Queen and Prince Philip about Diana… was not that she was popular, but that she allowed her popularity to go to her head,” he wrote. Determined that Kate avoid a similar pitfall, Philip offered her a firm reminder of what the job truly meant, “If you believe the attention is for you, for you, you’re going to end up in trouble. The attention is for your role, what you do, what you’re supporting. It isn’t for you as an individual. You are not a celebrity. You are representing the royal family. That’s all.”