Queen Elizabeth II initially felt King Charles III should 'give up' Camilla, Princess Diana's biographer says
British author Andrew Morton, who recently wrote "The Queen: Her Life," explores how King Charles III's relationship with his mother softened before her death following tensions surrounding Camilla, the new Queen Consort.
Camilla debuted a new royal look as Queen Consort.
The wife of King Charles III attended the state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday and wore Queen Elizabeth II's Belgian sapphire tiara. It is the 75-year-old’s first tiara moment since her husband, 74, acceded to the throne.
The dazzling piece was worn for Charles’ first state visit as king as he welcomed Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, to the U.K. The tiara was previously owned by Camilla’s mother-in-law, who wore it to Singapore in 1989 and for China’s state visit to the U.K. in 2015.
Camilla paired the tiara with a matching royal blue lace evening gown by Bruce Oldfield. The look was completed with royal regalia — the blue Order of the Garter sash and the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order star and sash. She also included the tiara’s coordinating necklace and bracelet. According to People magazine, she opted not to wear the designated earrings.
Camilla, Queen Consort, during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022, in London, England. This is the first state visit hosted by the U.K. with King Charles III as monarch, and the first state visit here by a South African leader since 2010. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The outlet noted that the whole set together is recognized as the King George VI Victorian Suite. King George gave his daughter, then Princess Elizabeth, the tiara, necklace and earrings as a wedding present in 1947. It is believed that the jewels date back to the mid-1800s. A bracelet was added to the suite in the ‘60s.
Kate Middleton also shimmered during the event as the new Princess of Wales. The 40-year-old wore her first tiara in nearly three years for the state banquet. She modeled a sparkling white gown by her go-to designer Jenny Packham, as well as the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara, a favorite of Princess Diana’s.
The piece is more than a century old and was originally commissioned from the jeweler Garrard by Queen Mary sometime between 1913 and 1914, the Court Jeweller reported. According to the outlet, it is a replica of a tiara owned by Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Middleton also wore earrings that belonged to her mother-in-law, as well as a bracelet from the late queen’s jewelry box. She completed her look with the Royal Family order and the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order star and sash.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022, in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The queen passed away on Sept. 8 at age 96.
British author Andrew Morton, who recently wrote "The Queen: Her Life," told Fox News Digital that Charles and his mother grew closer towards the end of her life.
Kate Middleton wore the lover's knot tiara, a favorite of Princess Diana's, her mother-in-law. (Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
"The issue has really been the Camilla issue," he explained. "That put the queen and Charles at loggerheads because the queen [initially] felt that he should give up Camilla. And her advisors felt the same way. And that he was being self-indulgent by keeping on with somebody who was so demonstrably unpopular. But over the years, Camilla proved to be a stalwart companion to Charles and the queen recognized that. And once she gave her permission for Charles to marry Camilla, I think that divide between them, that gap, had closed. And they were reconciled. And I think that their mutual affection was clear."
Morton also noted that the queen’s relationship with Camilla improved as they bonded over their two loves: dogs and horses.
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President of China Xi Jinping (R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (L) accompany Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as they arrive for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on October 20, 2015, in London, England. The queen is seen wearing the sapphire tiara for the evening. (Toby Melville - WPA Pool /Getty Images)
"They’re both country people," he said. "Camilla was kind of a mirror image of the queen in the sense that she enjoyed and went hunting. That’s how she first kept in touch with Charles during his marriage [to Diana]… She loves the grandchildren, as did the queen."
Morton said that the biggest lesson he believed the queen gave both Camilla and the Princess of Wales, who will be Queen Consort someday, is "to play the long game."
"I think both of them have played the long game," he explained. "Camilla certainly has. She’s… been there. She [hasn’t] pushed herself forward. She’s always supportive of King Charles… that has been the queen’s technique… With [Kate], I feel she’s taken quite a long time to become familiar with what the monarchy is all about and how to be a princess. I think she’s really coming to her own in the last year or so, from being somebody who was quite shy, to someone who’s really exploring her own interests, like early child development, photography and so on. She’s become a real asset to the royal family."
Morton famously worked with Diana on a book that rocked the monarchy in 1992. Today, he’s stunned at how Camilla, whose relationship with Charles torpedoed his marriage to Diana, has become a favorite among the public.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort during the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 22, 2022, in London, England. The couple married in 2005. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Since marrying Charles in 2005, Camilla has taken on roles at more than 100 charities, focusing on a wide range of issues including promoting literacy, supporting victims of domestic violence and helping the elderly.
"Ultimately [the queen’s] eldest son has married the mistress, which is remarkable," said Morton. "It shows you what a remarkable change has been to both the monarchy and British society during the queen’s reign. So when people say nothing ever changes, I’ll just show you the fact that the Queen Consort is… a former mistress."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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