How Queen Camilla bonded with Kate Middleton – and taught her to be a frontline royal

Camilla has gathered a loyal band of women as “companions” to support her during her reign as Queen.

But much of her growing popularity stems from her closeness to another member of the royal circle – Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Camilla’s entry into the family had been difficult, especially after her affair with Charles became a public affair.

It is reported that at one point the Queen told her eldest son, “I want nothing to do with her.”

But with time that changed. Camilla gained favor with her mother-in-law – and her image softened further when she took Kate under her wing.

Even before Kate married William, Camilla had given her advice on do’s and don’ts and shared details about her favorite beauticians.

Two months before Kate’s 2011 royal wedding, Camilla took her out for a girls’ lunch at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge with her daughter Laura and Kate’s sister Pippa.

One diner recalled Camilla being heard say to Kate, “If I may give you a little advice…” as they discussed the details of the wedding.

They added: ‘They all got on really well and they obviously hadn’t asked for a secluded table nor were they trying to lower their voices.

“There was a moment that was clearly meant to be funny when Kate said ‘what happens if William doesn’t show up?”‘

Leading up to the big day, there were several hand-holding moments.

Camilla suggested that her own manicurist Marina Sandoval of the Jo Hansford hair salon in Mayfair give Kate a £36 “signature manicure” for the event.

Camilla allegedly intervened when Kate considered wearing flowers in her hair on her wedding day, suggesting that a tiara would be more appropriate.

She gave Kate a very personal wedding gift: a gold charm bracelet with a small disc engraved with Catherine’s numbers and her own.

The bracelet, featuring two big ‘C’s below a crown with Camilla’s surrounded by a circle, is similar to a piece worn by Camilla that she rarely takes off.

Kate Nicholl, Royal Editor of Vanity Fair, explained in a Channel 5 documentary how Camilla became a rock for both Kate and Meghan when they became engaged to her stepsons, William and Harry.

Kate didn’t know how to be royal, so she would have been an outsider. She was hounded by the press and Camilla knew what that felt like,” said Ms Nicholl.

In many ways, Camilla had paved the way for Meghan. Camilla would have been there to tell her not to take criticism personally, but this is what happens when you’re an outsider,” she added.

The image of Camilla sitting at a table with Kate, a court princess, is reminiscent of an earlier luncheon hosted by Camilla – 30 years earlier – with Charles’s wife-to-be, Diana.

The invitation, signed ‘Love, Camilla’, was a welcome relief to Diana, who had just moved out of the flat she shared with three friends to move into Clarence House. The goal was to put her at ease.

Camilla’s mentorship of Kate went beyond the wedding.

She also helped Kate learn how to deal with more irritable members of the family, such as Princess Anne, for example teaching her to focus on the faces of cameramen she recognized so she appeared more comfortable in photographs.

Kate was also able to talk to Camilla about charity work, discussing the idea of ​​Kate heavily helping a specific charity for a limited time of one or two years during special calls.

When Kate became a Kensington Palace chatelaine, Camilla was on hand to help, warning her that the couple would need a minimum staff of a butler, a housekeeper, a ladies’ dresser, a servant, a cook, a driver and several other workers.

A close friend of the family told Richard Kay of The Daily Mail how important Camilla’s help had been, considering William’s lack of ability in that direction.

“In the best of times, the royals just don’t have much sensitivity when it comes to helping new members into royal life,” the friend said. “They’re not bad – they just don’t think.”

By building a relationship with Camilla, Kate reportedly helped smooth over the sometimes strained relationship between William and his father, King Charles.

In her book Camilla: From Outcast to Future Queen Consort, Angela Levin said that the Princess of Wales made a real effort to spend time with both her husband’s father and stepmother, making Kate the “peacemaker” of the family.

Friction is said to have arisen between William and his father and Camilla, now Queen Consort, after the couple married in 2005.

Kate has used their shared interests, including a love of art, to bond with the couple and meet them on her own – without William in tow.

“Fortunately, time helped improve Camilla’s relationship with senior Royals, including Prince William, thanks in large part to the Princess of Wales, who is a peacemaker,” said Ms Levin, a former Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalist.

Camilla is also a mediator and has no grievances. They both believe that supporting their spouses is a priority.

‘Catherine has a love of art, which William doesn’t exactly share. She often goes to exhibitions both privately and publicly with the Queen Consort and King Charles.’