Much has been written about King Charles and Queen Camilla's relationship, which has spanned decades and survived their respective marriages to other people. Now, a royal expert has suggested that Charles's "decision not to marry" Camilla during their initial romance had an inordinate affect on his son Prince William's relationship with Princess Kate.
Charles and Camilla first met in the early '70s and reportedly had a romantic relationship before going their separate ways. According to royal expert Russell Myers's new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, King Charles's long-term affair with Camilla would ultimately impact Prince William's own approach to commitment.
"Within weeks of his split from Catherine [in 2007], he was having second thoughts, mindful perhaps of his father's decision in his twenties not to marry Camilla Shand, the love of his life," Myers wrote. "William did not want to make a similar mistake and yet he was still wracked with doubt."
As well as not wanting to make the same mistakes his father had, Prince William was reportedly given some important advice from Queen Elizabeth II. "His grandmother's advice was also ringing in his ears," Myers explained. "Did he have faith that Catherine was 'the one'? Could he see a future with her?"
After realizing he wasn't ready to let go of his relationship with Princess Kate, Prince William reportedly took swift action.
"At first, he texted and asked to speak, wondering if Catherine would even reply," Myers shared, explaining that Kate was on vacation with her family at the time. "With Catherine unsure of William's motives and unwilling to let her guard down just yet, the initial exchanges were tentative, if a little frosty."
Princess Kate seemingly felt the same way as Prince William, and she eventually "agreed to a call," the royal expert revealed. "William explained that he was missing her and floated the idea of them still attending a party that had been in their diary for months."
Luckily, the Princess of Wales decided to give William another chance, and the pair have been together ever since. But King Charles's decision to marry Princess Diana instead of Queen Camilla appears to have caused Prince William to exercise caution in his own romantic relationships.
