Every family has its own fair share of drama, and the royal family is no exception. But according to author Richard Andersen, there’s more going on behind the scenes than you might have guessed—and it’s not all pleasant.
According to Andersen’s new book, Game of Crowns, Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, was not a big fan of Kate Middleton. Andersen makes a bombshell accusation about Camilla’s role in Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s 2007 breakup. According to Andersen, Camilla reportedly had a hand in their split, pressuring Prince Charles to recommend Prince William not date Kate. Why? Camilla’s own snobbery.
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“She’s an aristocrat, she has always been moving in royal circles,” Andersen told The Daily Beast. Camilla was proud to be the great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, the long-time mistress of Edward VII. “She boasted about that [relationship] as a child and as an adult, and that’s what she intended to be—part of the royal circle in the role of mistress to the future king, and then the king,” Andersen said.
In Camilla’s eyes, Kate’s non-royal family—her parents met when they were both British Airways flight attendants—meant she was not good enough to became a part of the royal family. When Kate and William broke up, Camilla’s meddling obviously backfired as Prince William realized he could not be without Kate.
Another player in Kate’s orbit that Andersen talks about is her own mother—Carole Middleton. According to Andersen, it’s not just Camilla who has tried to affect William and Kate’s trajectories. Carole has been with Kate every step of the way, encouraging her to attend St. Andrew’s (where she met Prince William and to go out and be photographed after her and William’s break-up.
While Kate and William are happily married and almost certainly the future of the British royal family, there’s no doubt that their relationship—including the people who impacted it—is so fascinating.
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