How Camilla nurtured her friendship with Kate: taught her how to deal with royalty, photographers, and Princess Anne!
Queen Camilla is now growing in popularity among the royal family and the general public, mainly because of her closeness to another member of the royal family, Catherine, Princess of Wales.
An article in Post Online on Monday said Camilla's path to marrying into the royal family was by no means smooth, especially after her romance with Charles became public.
At one point, the late Queen reportedly told her eldest son: "I don't want anything to do with her (Camilla)." ”
But over time, things have changed. Camilla wins the affection of her mother-in-law – her image is further enhanced when she puts Kate under her wing.
Even before Kate married William, Camilla provided her with guidance on royal taboos and introduced her favorite beautician to Kate.
Two months before Kate and William married in 2011, Camilla took her to lunch with her daughter Laura and Kate's sister Pippa at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge.
According to one diner who was also there at the time, while they were discussing the details of the wedding, they overheard Camilla say to Kate: "If I can give you a little advice...".
The man added: "They got along well with each other, they obviously didn't ask for a remote table or try to lower their voices. ”
"When Kate said 'What if William doesn't show up?' , that moment was clearly a joke. ”
During the preparations for William and Kate's wedding, Camilla also made several overtures to Kate.
Camilla had proposed that her favourite manicurist Marina Sandoval from Jo Hansford's hair salon in Mayfair give Kate a £36 "signature manicure" before the wedding.
Kate is said to have considered wearing flowers in her hair on her wedding day, and Camilla intervened to suggest that it would be more appropriate for her to wear a crown.
She also gave Kate a very personalized wedding gift: a gold charm-style bracelet with a small disc engraved with Catherine and her initials.
This bracelet has two large "C's" under the ring, and Camilla's "C" is surrounded by a circle, similar to one of the bracelets that Camila often wears.
Vanity Fair magazine royal line editor Kate Nicholl explains in a Channel 5 documentary how Camilla became a boost to Kate and Meghan after they became engaged to her stepsons, William and Harry.
Kate Nicholl said, "Kate doesn't know how to be a royal, so she's going to be an outsider. She was being chased by the media, and Camila knew that feeling. ”
"In many ways, Camila paved the way for Meghan. Camila would be there to tell her not to take all the criticism as directed at her personally, but that's just something that happens when you're an outsider," she added.
The image of Camilla and Kate sitting down to dinner is reminiscent of the brunch organized by Camilla and Charles' fiancée, Diana, 30 years ago.
The invitation, signed "Camilla, Full of Love," was a comfort to Diana who had just left the apartment she shared with three friends and moved into Clarence House.
Camilla's guidance to Kate goes far beyond weddings.
She also helps Kate learn how to deal with grumpy royal family members, such as Princess Anne, and teaches her to focus on the faces of photographers she knows to make her look more comfortable when taking photos.
Kate also spoke with Camilla about charity work, discussing Kate's idea of focusing on helping a particular charity in a limited period of time of one or two years.
When Kate became the hostess of Kensington Palace, Camilla was on hand to help, telling her that she and William needed at least a housekeeper, a foreman, a lady costumer, a valet, a cook, a chauffeur and several other staff members.
A close friend of the royal family told Richard Kay of the Daily Mail that it was obvious how important Camilla's help was given William's lack of ability to manage family affairs.
On Kate's part, by nurturing a relationship with Camilla, Kate helped ease the sometimes tense relationship between William and his father, King Charles.
In her book Camilla: From Foundling to Future Queen, royal writer Angela Levin says that the Princess of Wales made a real effort to spend time with her husband William's father and stepmother, making Kate a "messenger of peace" for the family.
