We know that Queen Camilla, 75, and Kate Middleton, 41, aren’t seeing eye to eye at the moment – if we are to believe the rumors about the Princess of Wales refusing to curtsy to her at King Charles’ coronation last month because they disagreed over the guest list. However, they didn’t always have such a frosty relationship, as new reports are suggesting that Queen Camilla actually stepped in to help Kate Middleton in the lead up to her wedding to Prince William back in April 2011. We’re intrigued!
Queen Camilla Reportedly Advised Kate Middleton To Wear A Tiara
According to the Daily Mail via the New York Post, Camilla stopped Kate from committing a faux pas at the royal wedding by giving her some advice just two months before the big day. During a luncheon at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, where they were also joined by Camilla's daughter, Laura, and Kate's sister Pippa, a fellow diner reportedly overheard Camilla tell Kate: "If I can give you one bit of advice…"
The Daily Mail's source then said, "They were all getting on very well and they clearly hadn’t asked for an out-of-the-way table and nor did they attempt to lower their voices." Kate then reportedly revealed that she was planning to wear flowers in her hair for the wedding, which Camilla reportedly advised against, instead urging her to consider a more appropriate tiara. If this is true, we're so glad she not only gave Kate the advice but that Kate actually took it, as her wedding look was absolutely iconic. And the tiara had a big part to play in that!
Queen Camilla's Other Reported Generous Moments
Camilla also reportedly recommended her own manicurist, Marina Sandoval from the Jo Hansford hair salon in Mayfair, to give the bride-to-be a $45 "signature manicure" before the wedding. And that's not where her generosity ended, as she reportedly gave the soon-to-be royal a gold charm-style bracelet with a small disc engraved with their royal cyphers as a gift.
She also, if we are to believe the reports, essentially took Kate under her wing, and gave her some advice about royal engagements, including how to handle "prickly members of the family, such as Princess Anne," to quote the Daily Mail, by reportedly suggesting she focus on the friendly faces of the photographers she recognized instead. Interesting! We guess that advice must have worked wonders, as the Princess of Wales is a natural!
Vanity Fair's Royal Editor Katie Nicholl previously said that Camilla empathized with Kate due to how she was treated when she first joined the royal family. "Kate didn't know how to be royal, so she would have been an outsider. She was pursued by the press and Camilla knew how that felt," Nicholl explained on a Channel 5 documentary, before going on to say that Camilla also helped Meghan Markle in the same way! "In many ways, Camilla had paved the way for Meghan," Nicholl added. "Camilla would have been there to tell her not to take any criticism personally, but this is just what happens when you're an outsider."
