In an unfolding drama within the British royal family, sources reveal a deepening rift between Camilla, Queen Consort, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. This tension comes to light as King Charles III grapples with health issues, sparking discussions of abdication.
Insiders close to the palace describe Camilla, 76, as increasingly agitated by the prospect of Charles stepping down and by Kate's growing popularity. "Camilla's turned into the mother-in-law from hell," a palace source reveals. "She's had a bellyful of Kate hogging the headlines and strutting around like this self-appointed savior of the monarchy. In public, Camilla plays nice because she has to. But privately Camilla's very bitchy and paranoid about Kate and undermines her whenever she can."
The conflict reportedly intensified after William and Kate were named the best-dressed couple, a title that allegedly sparked envy in Camilla. "Camilla was green with envy making all sorts of snide comments," the insider shares. "It was obvious she's jealous. She has a huge ego, and feels she should win best dressed. Now that she's queen she feels entitled."
Further straining their relationship, Kate made the unusual decision not to curtsy to Camilla during her coronation earlier this year, following a dispute over coronation tickets. "Kate was livid because most of her family was left out," adds the source. "She only got four seats. It was a huge insult, and the exact sort of petty thing Camilla does. Clearly it pushed Kate's buttons."
Amidst these tensions, Camilla has reportedly been gloating over the recent closure of Kate's parents' party-planning business. Furthermore, she is said to be actively working to prevent the Middletons from receiving any royal titles before Charles's potential abdication, which may occur before the year's end.
Despite these challenges, Charles expects Camilla and Kate to present a united front to support the monarchy during this transitional period. "They get good approval ratings together and the family needs all the positive PR it can get before William succeeds his father," a palace courtier explains. "So the women have no choice but to go along with it. But you can see how stiff they are whenever they have to do anything together."
The ongoing feud has placed Kate in a challenging position, as she reportedly feels unable to retaliate against Camilla's actions. The situation within the royal family remains tense, with insiders describing Camilla's behavior towards Kate as characteristic of the "mother-in-law from hell."
The Globe magazine spoke to the source.
