Queen Camilla ‘was one of Kate Middleton’s fiercest critics’ in the beginning

Go back 25 years ago, when then-Kate Middleton had finally succeeded in throwing herself in Prince William’s path at St. Andrews, the university she suddenly applied to after William announced his university plans. Many within the royal family were okay-ish with Kate at the time because they saw her as William’s come-and-go college girlfriend, someone who would not stick around. They were surprised when Kate and Carole Middleton worked William like a rib, and they seemed equally surprised that Kate simply hung around, through several breakups and through William treating her like sh-t. During the decade-long Waity Years, it seems like Camilla Parker Bowles was Kate’s biggest critic. This is according to Christopher Andersen, author of Kate!, the new biography of the Princess of Wales.

Queen Camilla didn’t always think Kate Middleton was suited to be with a future king. The claim comes from author Christopher Andersen, whose new book “Kate!” explores the Princess of Wales’ rise from commoner to the heir’s wife and mother of the next in line. Andersen’s account is based on his reporting and sources and has not been independently confirmed by the palace.

“In the beginning, Camilla was one of Kate’s fiercest critics,” Andersen told Fox News Digital. “She did not think she was up to snuff, as it were. She was below the salt. She had no aristocratic blood.”

“Camilla always saw herself as the mistress of a king, not a queen,” Andersen claimed. “And she picked [Princess] Diana to be [King] Charles’ bride. So, she was very cognizant of the fact that a future king of England should have, she believed, a marriage to a royal personage, or at least a British aristocrat. Kate was none of those things, but she quickly became popular.”

He noted that Camilla’s early skepticism stemmed from concerns about royal tradition and social class. Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital, “We don’t comment on such books.”

According to Andersen’s book, Camilla “did object” to Kate’s “working-class roots” for a reason. Camilla is the granddaughter of a baron and a descendant of the Stuart bloodline, which ruled England from 1603 to 1714. Her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was also King Edward VII’s mistress, “an intimate connection to the royal family that Camilla had always taken immense pride in,” Andersen wrote. Unlike Kate, Camilla moved in royal circles throughout her life.

“Camilla had long lobbied on behalf of the highborn beauties with hyphenated names who swarmed around the heir,” wrote Andersen. “It was she, after all, who, along with another of Charles’ mistresses, Baroness Tryon, handpicked Lady Diana Spencer to become Charles’ bride,” Andersen wrote. He also claimed that an aristocrat with “homegrown blue blood” would be preferable than “a descendant of coal miners whose mother had grown up in public housing and once worked as a flight attendant.”

Camilla wasn’t the only one who questioned whether Kate could handle life behind palace doors.

“[Kate] has been with William for 25 years,” said Andersen. “People forget that. Don’t forget the ‘Waity Katie’ 10-year period there, where she put up with the slings and arrows of outrageous [comments] coming from every angle.

“The palace didn’t really want her. People like Camilla didn’t want her because they felt that she was too common to be the wife of a future king. And, of course, the press was vicious in England, portraying her family as a bunch of louts and criticizing [her mother] Carole Middleton for doing such horrible things as chewing gum while she was quitting smoking.”

According to Andersen’s book, Camilla was also wary of Carole, who was portrayed in the press as “a gauche opportunist,” a mother willing to do anything to ensure her daughter would marry a future king.

“Camilla, who felt she knew a schemer when she saw one, feared her mother,” wrote Andersen, referring to Carole. One former mistress of Charles also told Andersen that for Camilla, “it’s really all about [keeping] your friends close and your enemies closer. It’s her way of keeping her eye on you.”

[From Fox News]

One of my favorite theories or commentary threads about Camilla and the Middletons is that Camilla is THE reason why all of the blueblood women rejected William. Circa 2005-07, William dumped Kate several times to try his luck with those “highborn beauties with hyphenated names.” Those girls didn’t want William – they ran far away from him, encouraged by their highborn mothers who saw the way the Windsors treated Lady Diana Spencer. Camilla is, according to many royal theories, THE reason why William basically had to settle for Kate. True highborn aristocratic women avoided getting involved with William because they didn’t want to end up being treated like sh-t by the institution, by Camilla, and by William. Something else I’ve always believed is that Diana, had she lived, would have seen straight through the Middleton grift. Diana would have had little time for Carole. Meanwhile, Camilla seeing Carole as a schemer… lol, pot, kettle, etc.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

35 Responses to “Queen Camilla ‘was one of Kate Middleton’s fiercest critics’ in the beginning”

  1. Cerys says:

    Camilla wasn’t wrong. Kate is not up to the job and Carole is a schemer who played William from the start.

    • Ciotog says:

      Camilla could recognize a schemer because she’s the biggest schemer there is.

      Although her “brilliant intuition” is really just snobbery.

      • CatGotMyTongue says:

        That “knew a schemer when she saw one” line is so funny! Classic British humor of pretending to praise something while saying what they really think. Love it.

  2. Gloriana says:

    William’s personality was the main reason they avoided him.

  3. jais says:

    Love how the many mistresses of Charles are named here. A good reminder that it was more than just Camilla.

  4. Kittenmom says:

    I hate to agree with Camilla, but “gauche opportunist” is a perfect description of Ma Middleton.

  5. Neeve says:

    I dont understand why William was never put off by the stalking and calculated maneuvers to snag him. Is it a flattery thing? Why after founding out the lengths Carole went to, which must have been during the waity years he didnt run for the hills? Even if there were no blue bloods who would have him,im sure Europe wasnt short of other commoners with a lesser agenda.

    • Nic919 says:

      Carole played pseudo mother and enters his life not long after his mother died. We know from Harry they were isolated so Carole playing the mother he always wanted plays a huge role here.

      Camilla may not be the best person but she had accurate reads on the Middletons.

      • Neeve says:

        Sure i understand she served a role at a difficult point in his life. But after that it was revealed what they did( i wonder who ever spilled the details), personally i would b creeped out, such people will do anything to get what they want, he didn’t have to marry her after finding the depths they went to.

    • TN Democrat says:

      Grifters figure out their marks weaknesses and use those soft spots against them. He wanted a submissive doormat he could walk all over and got that in Keen. He also got a “normal” family experience, which was missing in his lfe. He was in b The Middletons would have been thoroughly vetted the moment Keen popped onto the the radar. The royals (and government) knew exactly what the Middletons were up to and Willy did, too. Keen ended up with Diana’s cursed ring because no one else would have him and he thought he would always have leverage over her because she wouldn’t have any support among the aristocrats. Diana’s background offered her some protection and privilege that Keener’s doesn’t.

  6. Wow talk about the kettle calling the pot black on this bit of Horsilla tat. She knew what she was talking about with Kan’t because they both are schemers of the nth degree!

  7. Becks1 says:

    I mean, Camilla wasn’t wrong. Carole is a schemer and Kate is not up to the task.

    I’m not sure how much Camilla per se had to do with girls rejecting William. I can see the Diana argument – “if they treated Diana like that, what will they do to me” but I dont know how much 20 something girls would have said “Camilla was the reason the reason Diana was treated poorly, so I need to avoid her.” Because honestly, while I know many on here want to turn Camilla into the ultimate villain of the Diana story, she wasn’t – or at least not the only one. It was the Firm, it was Charles. Camilla’s emotional manipulations and machinations wouldn’t have landed as they did had Diana had support from within the Firm. But, the Firm did not support her, the Firm treated her poorly, the Firm turned against her. That’s what had people avoiding marriage with William – the institution itself.

    It’s not that Camilla is a saint – she wasn’t then and she isn’t now. but there was still a way to help and support Diana against her that the Firm – including QEII, Prince Phillip, et al – refused to do.

    • monlette says:

      I have to agree. What daughter of wealth and privilege is going to want to give all that up to be a breeding zoo animal in a notoriously cold and penny-pinching family? Camilla is only a small part of that.

      • Lady Digby says:

        Agreed 💯@Monlette and also have you and your entire family being dismantled by the vicious British Press? Anybody already rich and privileged with a regard to privacy doesn’t need to marry into THAT family ? In fact given what we now know about them and especially PoWs would anyone really want Kate and Will as parents in law?

    • jais says:

      It’s too bad bc I remember before I royal gossiped, the narrative of William and his middle class bride. Which seemed cute. Bc not all middle class people should be considered unclassy fortune-hunters. But unfortunately in this case, that’s what ended up happening bc it was cute. The stalking was really glossed over. But at the same time, there really was nasty class snobbery towards Kate.

  8. Sue says:

    And all those highborn girls and their highborn mothers are breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t end up with the incandescent pillow thrower.

  9. Hypocrisy says:

    Shaming someone for needing public housing and for being employed as a flight attendant is pretty twisted, I could see the lip curl of disgust as I read that and I’m not a Middleton supporter at all.

  10. YankeeDoodles says:

    Camilla is just a re-tread. She flatters herself that she selected a bride for Charles but that’s only because every other woman he had dated had rejected him, some because they knew Camilla was lurking behind a plant waiting to pounce, some because he was just a drip who was ponderous & totally solipsistic. Diana was too young to know his history & her own family was such a mess, they failed to warn her off because they had no fix on what a normal match would have looked like. It’s almost like she was trying to fix her own broken home by marrying the heir to the throne, which is doubly pitiful. Camilla took advantage of a situation with sadistic glee where any sane woman with self respect would have stayed well away.

    • Tessa says:

      Unfortunately Diana fell for Charles’ line and thought he loved her and wanted to marry for love. Diana unfortunately trusted Charles. And Diana was only 19 when Charles courted her. Charles had no business marrying Diana if he did not love her. I put the blame squarely on him.

      • QuiteContrary says:

        The age difference between Charles and Diana was a huge red flag. Charles was 32! That’s a huge gap in experience. I blame him, too.

        Diana didn’t have a chance.

      • Tessa says:

        with Charles feeling “entitled” to other women during the marriage, that sealed the fate of the marriage. And Diana did not turn a blind eye.

    • Tessa says:

      Charles was trying to marry an aristo of no experience. He wanted to marry to have heirs with. Other women turned him down.

  11. QuiteContrary says:

    Camilla is such a horrible person, through and through — and the worst kind of aristocrat, the kind who thinks they’re above middle-class standards of hygiene and manners. She made a crude comment about Biden, she laughed at the Inuit throat singers, she sneers at anyone outside of her horsey circle (and I’m convinced she smells of hay, gin and cigarette smoke).

    She was right about the Middletons, and about Kate in particular, but judging them was like shooting fish in a barrel — their social climbing was so blatant, anyone could have seen it. Camilla didn’t have any special insight. She’s just a hideous snob.

  12. Amy Bee says:

    I believe the Royal Family didn’t want William to marry Kate. They wanted him to marry an aristo but they had to settle for Kate when none of the aristos wanted to marry William.

  13. Over it says:

    Of course cams saw a fellow schemer , takes one to know one. I think it’s funny how cams is so proud that her great Granny was nothing but a mistress and she grew up and said when I get there . I will follow in granny footsteps and be a mistress too . These people really are trash and I don’t know why people think there is anything special about any of them. Commoners like you and I have more class and we have dignity. . They just have castles and unearned wealth

    • Lucy says:

      I found it extremely odd that they emphasized she “wanted to be mistress to the king, not the queen.” Like she’s a grifter who knows her place? Truly such a bizarre outlook.

  14. FeedMeChips says:

    Horsezilla takes pride in knowing her ancestor was a concubine??? What a time to be alive.

  15. Alla says:

    The misogyny is strong, everywhere

  16. Marybel Lamb says:

    This makes me want to puke. We know how horsie got her crown, yet day after day you people go after Catherine like she’s the lowest form of life. Snarky is fun, but you people clump here like vampires and would rip out souls if you could. Sick

    • Graphinya Heather says:

      We “go after” Kate because she’s lazy. Luckily I’m not a British tax payer, but her sense of entitlement and refusal to do the most basic of “work” (and let’s be honest, showing up at an event, waving, and maybe shaking hands is NOT work) is frustratingly childish. And let’s not start on her (at the very least) overstated ‘cancer’ battle that is now preventing any semblance of ‘work.’ She wants to be known as the Children’s Princess but can’t do the very basic with that. But let’s not forget all the vacations they go on but the poor delicate flower is far too exhausted from her cancer battle to go meet with organizations that could use some publicity. And the whole Early Years thing? I basically accomplished everything she’s “learned’ over the past nearly ten years in my only semester of Child Development in college. Her behavior towards others, especially Meghan (who can forget the lunge at the walk about after E2 died) is off putting and nothing to admire.

      She had a ten year warning during her waiting period to know what it would be like and she has done diddly with it all. The constant infantilazation of this middle aged woman is disgusting. She and her handlers seem fine with that, if not encouraging it.

      So yes this really isn’t the place for a Kate stan because we as a whole see through the pricy clothes and jewels to what she has NOT done. And WON’T do.

  17. Jferber says:

    Like knows like. Too bad there was never a bigger bitch than Camilla to ruin her life and lead her to an early grave (sorry, not sorry).

  18. Lover says:

    How dare Camilla try to take “credit” for “finding” Diana for Charles. So she’s not just a side piece, she’s a trafficker? Disgusting. And yet she spent her whole life being insanely jealous of Diana, psychologically torturing her and putting her down. If Camilla actually had any respect for the monarchy or gave a s**t about the “proper” way to be a royal mistress, she wouldn’t have tried to constantly subvert and humiliate the actual Princess of Wales. If you care about tradition and aristocracy then undermining the Princess like that would be verboten. At very least she would have to be extremely discreet, and Camilla was the opposite of discreet because she wanted everyone, especially Diana, to know that she was top dog. Well, Camilla is a dog all right. And complete trash. Imagine bragging about coming from a long line of side pieces. Having “aristocratic blood” doesn’t make it classier! A pox on all their houses.

  19. Rachel says:

    if they were this snobby to Kate imagine how they were to Megan. JFC

Commenting Guidelines

Read the article before commenting.

We aim to be a friendly, welcoming site where people can discuss entertainment stories and current events in a lighthearted, safe environment without fear of harassment, excessive negativity, or bullying. Different opinions, backgrounds, ages, and nationalities are welcome here - hatred and bigotry are not. If you make racist or bigoted remarks, comment under multiple names, or wish death on anyone you will be banned. There are no second chances if you violate one of these basic rules.

By commenting you agree to our comment policy and our privacy policy

Do not engage with trolls, contrarians or rude people. Comment "troll" and we will see it.

Please e-mail the moderators at cbcomments at gmail.com to delete a comment if it's offensive or spam. If your comment disappears, it may have been eaten by the spam filter. Please email us to get it retrieved.

You can sign up to get an image next to your name at Gravatar.com Thank you!

Leave a comment after you have read the article

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment