What Do Prince William's Children Call Camilla Parker Bowles?

It's not exactly clear when Prince William first became aware that his father, Prince Charles, was seeing Camilla Parker Bowles throughout his parents' 15-year marriage in the spotlight. In 1995, his beloved mother Princess Diana made it public knowledge her eldest son was seemingly aware of his father's relationship with Camilla. She famously shared with BBC that she told William "there were three of us" when he asked her as a teenager why his parents' 15-year marriage failed. A friend of his mother told the Daily Mail that Diana "had no choice" but to lean on "Prince William, in particular" during his father's infidelity and she leaned him on "more than most mothers would have." However, things took a terrible turn for the British royal family when Diana unexpectedly died in August 1997, forcing the family's dynamic to change overtime, with Prince Charles eventually marrying Camilla in April 2005.

As Prince William's feelings toward his father and stepmothers' relationship continues to grow alongside his own marriage to Kate Middleton, it appears his connection with Camilla has significantly improved, with his kids even calling her a by special name.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been married since 2011 and are known as the model royal couple. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have graced the world with three royal children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — making Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles grandparents. In 2013, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and future Queen Consort, told the Daily Mail that her royal grandchildren don't call her "grandma" and like to use the term "GaGa." Prince Charles' second wife explained she's not sure "if it's because they think I am," adding that the little ones make it "funny but it is still very sweet."

In the 2018 biography, "The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown," author Penny Junor wrote that Camilla, who has five grandchildren from her previous marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, hosts a massive party each year for both her grandchildren and the grandchildren of friends in June. Junor made Camilla sound like a grandma who wants the kids to have it all, and at the party she hosted in 2016, "there were about 90 children tucking into sandwiches, cakes, and jellies and roaring around watching spellbound as magicians did tricks and entertainers made them laugh."

Although his stepmother Camilla Parker Bowles has been involved in his life for more than two decades, Prince William hasn't been very open about his feelings toward his father's years-long love affair with Camilla, likely because of how she came into his life and whose spot she replaced. In addition, the Daily Mail reported that, as a young child, William would be at home when his late mother Princess Diana and his father would be arguing about his affair with Camilla. But when Princess Diana tragically died in a car crash 1997, things changed quickly for the teen royal, who was also still processing the divorce of his parents the year prior. In spite of the fact that William was reportedly hesitant about his father and stepmother's pairing, their relationship grew over several years, especially after his father wed Camilla in 2005. 

Signs show Prince William has put aside the past, though, as Camilla's granddaughter Eliza Lopes was a bridesmaid at his and Kate Middleton's iconic royal wedding in April 2011. His wife is known to have a close bond with Camilla, too, as both married into the famous royal family, according to PopSugar UK. In addition, a body language expert told Marie Claire in December 2021 that both Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry "definitely approve of Camilla's relationship with their father," claiming their "non-verbal communication towards her signifies a strong bond, showing genuine emotion towards her."