Awkward! On Sept. 17, during President Donald Trump’s state visit to England, Queen Camilla appeared to shoo Princess Kate away as the two women spoke with Melania Trump outside of Victoria House on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Kate was smiling and talking animatedly with the first lady when Camilla not-so-subtly motioned for her to move along. The interaction — which quickly went viral — spoke volumes about the friction between the current and future queen of England.
The mounting tension reached new heights the following month, when it was reported Kate and husband Prince William, both 43, were the forces behind getting Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) ousted from the royal family. (On Oct. 30, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles III, 77, had initiated “a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours” from his younger brother; Andrew’s bio page has been removed from the official royal family’s website.)
A source says Camilla, 78, feels she and Charles are being bulldozed by the younger generation — but the accusation is sitting just fine with Kate. The mom of Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, is urging William to prepare for the day when he replaces Charles, who is receiving treatment for cancer. “Kate’s saying it’s important they ascend the throne with everything in place,” says the source, adding, “she’s also taking certain things into her own hands and making executive decisions.”
On A Mission
Kate has always had William’s ear. “He seeks her advice on issues relating to the monarchy’s best interests,” says the source, noting that William values his wife’s opinion “because she’ll be co-ruling with him in due course, but also because she’s so fair and balanced.”
Her ultimate goal is to protect the monarchy — and her kids. “Kate is dutiful when it comes to matters that affect the royal family,” says the source, “and she’s also extremely conscious about her children’s futures and what they’re in line to inherit.” It’s no secret she was disgusted by William’s uncle’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In 2022, Andrew, 65, settled out of court with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged he’d sexually assaulted her as a teen. Kate’s disgust became more urgent when the scandal was revived by Giuffre’s newly published posthumous memoir, in which she wrote, among other sordid details, that Andrew “believed having sex with me was his birthright.” (He denied all allegations.)
Royal Battle
Camilla is fuming over Kate’s power plays. “She believes Kate and William are constantly undermining the king’s authority and holding sneaky meetings with courtiers and leaving them out of the loop,” the source reveals. But because of Kate’s health issues (she announced she’s in remission from cancer in January), Camilla can’t be seen going too hard on her. “She’s ordering Charles to ensure William and Kate don’t get away with treating her like a second-class citizen.”
Kate and William, meanwhile, find Camilla “pushy” and are exceedingly “wary” of her. And they don’t feel the need to consult Charles and Camilla on their plans, including a reported meeting with Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, in mid-October about their father, Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson; Kensington Palace denied a meeting took place. “Charles mostly trusts William and Kate to handle things as they see fit, but that doesn’t go down too well with Camilla,” says the source.
Amid the family drama, it’s been business as usual for Kate and William — they shared their hopes for a “better world” in a video on X featuring finalists from William’s Earthshot Prize initiative, and they officially moved into their forever home at Forest Lodge in early November.
Camilla’s concerned she’ll be relegated to the shadows once Kate is queen. “She’s worried Kate and William will marginalize her once Charles isn’t around,” says the source. “She’s intent on standing her ground, which means a showdown with Kate will take place at some point. When that happens,” adds the source, “it’s sure to be explosive.”
