Prince Harry's Relationship With Camilla Is About To Get Even More Complicated
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, titles in the royal family are changing. King Charles III will now take the throne, with his wife Camilla Parker Bowles by his side.
Earlier in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II made the decision that Camilla would indeed become queen consort when her son took the throne.
According to Us Weekly, that announcement was reportedly a sore topic for Prince Harry, who doesn't have the best history with the new queen consort. It's no big secret that King Charles loved Camilla and had an affair with her while married to Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana. After some time had passed following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, King Charles and Camilla eventually were married in 2005. The new king reportedly had pushed for Queen Elizabeth to name Camilla the Queen Consort ever since. However, neither Prince Harry nor his brother, Prince William, took too kindly to the news that it was actually happening.
Nevertheless, royal etiquette reigns over personal feelings, even for members of the royal family. So there will be another change coming for Prince Harry that he might not like.
Prince Harry will now have to bow to Camilla
With Camilla Parker Bowles as the new queen consort, all will have to bow or curtsy to her upon approach. That includes other members of the royal family, including Prince Harry. "It would be the protocol to bow to the new king and queen," Majesty managing editor Joe Little told Page Six. There is no word whether this happened after members of the royal family arrived to Scotland after the queen's passing. However, it will now be customary for them all.
Of course, the royal family will likely put on brave, quiet faces in the midst of their grief and any disagreements behind the scenes. In terms of what's next for Prince Harry in the coming days, he has reportedly flown from Balmoral to London to meet his wife, Meghan Markle. According to E! News, the couple will reportedly remain in the U.K. through Queen Elizabeth's funeral. An official date has not been announced, though it is reportedly happening within the next 10 days.
Don't hold your breath for a change of heart
Don't count on Prince Harry to mend his fractured relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles anytime soon. In a recent episode of the "Pod Save the Queen" podcast (via the Daily Mail), royal expert Ingrid Seward revealed just how deep the row between the prince and the queen consort actually is and gave some surprising predictions about the future of their relationship. "I don't think Harry is interested in developing a relationship with his stepmother at this stage in his life," Seward said. The royal expert added that she believes both Prince Harry and Prince William were initially welcoming to Camilla, as she "kept in the background" and "didn't interfere," but it appears things have changed as her prominence grew within the royal family.
"I don't think Harry has a great deal of warmth for her; he waxes and wanes with her," Seward explained. According to The Sun, the red-headed royal could take "revenge" on Camilla in his tell-all biography. The outlet alleges that the Duke of Sussex intends to "make her responsible for [his] mental health and how she stole his father from his mother."
The row extends to Meghan Markle
The royal row reportedly extends to Meghan Markle, as well. According to Vanity Fair, the Duchess of Sussex initially hit it off with Camilla Parker Bowles and the two got along "aces," according to a family friend. "There is real warmth and support. Camilla has been very helpful to Meghan," a friend revealed to the outlet. According to Mirror, the queen consort dined with Meghan when she joined the royal family and provided the newcomer with advice on how to cope with the pressures that came with her new role.
But, before long, their relationship deteriorated. The Duchess of Sussex allegedly broke a pledge not to overshadow an important speech Camilla was to give domestic violence. According to Mirror, the address had been in the works for nearly a year, but Meghan upstaged the event when she "refused to listen" to palace staff and insisted on releasing photos of herself at a theater that same day. "Everyone was in agreement that Camilla's speech should take precedence. Unfortunately some people had other ideas," explained an insider, who also noted that the move left Camilla feeling "very upset."