Queen Camilla reportedly objected to Prince William marrying Kate Middleton because she believed the future Princess of Wales lacked aristocratic credentials, according to royal author Christopher Andersen.
In his new book, Kate!: The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen, and in promotional interviews, Andersen claims Camilla was initially one of Kate’s “fiercest critics” and viewed her working-class background as unsuitable for a future queen. Keep reading for more details…
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Queen Camilla Reportedly Looked Down On Kate Middleton's Background
Although Camilla, born Camilla Rosemary Shand, was technically a commoner – anyone who is not the reigning monarch or a titled peer (such as a duke or earl) is classified as a commoner, FYI – she belonged to the British landed gentry, a stark contrast to Kate's much humbler roots. The Princess of Wales was born to parents Michael and Carole Middleton, a former flight dispatcher and flight attendant who later built a successful party supplies business.
Camilla's father, Major Bruce Shand, was a military officer and businessman, while her mother, Rosalind Cubitt, was the daughter of a baron. As a result, Camilla grew up in aristocratic circles and has family ties to the Stuart bloodline, which ruled England from 1603 to 1714.
According to Andersen's book, Camilla initially "did object" to Kate's "working-class roots," with her early skepticism stemming from concerns about royal tradition and social class.
Camilla Didn't Like That Kate Middleton 'Had No Aristocratic Blood'
"In the beginning, Camilla was one of Kate's fiercest critics," Andersen told Fox News Digital. "She did not think she was up to snuff, as it were. She was below the salt. She had no aristocratic blood."
"Camilla always saw herself as the mistress of a king, not a queen," Andersen claimed, adding: "And she picked [Princess] Diana to be [King] Charles' bride. So, she was very cognizant of the fact that a future king of England should have, she believed, a marriage to a royal personage, or at least a British aristocrat. Kate was none of those things, but she quickly became popular."
Queen Camilla Had Connections To The Royal Family Her Whole Life
Camilla's great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was King Edward VII's longtime mistress, giving her family a historic connection to the royal family that Andersen claims Camilla was proud of. Unlike Kate, Camilla moved in aristocratic and royal circles throughout much of her life.
"Camilla had long lobbied on behalf of the highborn beauties with hyphenated names who swarmed around the heir," Andersen wrote. "It was she, after all, who, along with another of Charles' mistresses, Baroness Tryon, handpicked Lady Diana Spencer to become Charles' bride."
Andersen also claimed that an aristocrat with "homegrown blue blood" would be preferable to "a descendant of coal miners whose mother had grown up in public housing and once worked as a flight attendant."
According to Andersen's book, Camilla was also wary of Carole Middleton, who was portrayed in parts of the British press as "a gauche opportunist," a mother willing to do anything to ensure her daughter married a future king. "Camilla, who felt she knew a schemer when she saw one, feared her mother," wrote Andersen, referring to Carole.
Prince William Was 'Offended' That Camilla Wanted Kate To Change The Spelling Of Her Name
Although she is widely known as Kate, the Princess of Wales' full name is Catherine. And according to Andersen, Camilla once suggested that Catherine change the spelling of her name to Katherine because there were already too many prominent royal "C" monograms in the family – namely Charles and Camilla.
"Charles and Camilla each had a royal monogram that consisted of interlocking Cs beneath a crown, and they expressed concern that a third royal cypher with a C was overkill," Andersen wrote, adding that Prince William, who is fiercely protective of his wife and the mother of his three kids, was completely "offended" by the request.
He wrote: "Would Kate mind if she changed the spelling of her full name from 'Catherine' to 'Katherine?' Camilla pointed out that such a change also made sense on the grounds that, to most of the world, she was known simply as 'Kate.' Offended by yet another command… essentially aimed at placating Camilla, a fuming William replied on his wife's behalf."
"The request was nothing less than 'insulting,' he told his father, not only to Kate but to her entire family," Andersen continued. "The bizarre suggestion that 'Catherine' become 'Katherine' simply to make Charles and Camilla happy was summarily dropped."
